The Legend of Spyro: Trial of Spirit
by Pleneko
Summary: Part 2 of the New Frontier saga; read part 1 first. When Spyro senses a nameless danger approaching, everyone thinks he's being paranoid. But maybe there's more to fear than even the purple dragon could guess?
1. Chapter 1: Peace for Now

I didn't really like the way this was turning out, so I'm doing a rewrite. I'll be posting each chapter as I get them edited, so hopefully it will be a chapter or two every few days (at least until I run out of prewritten chaps).

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Spyro, Cynder, or anything else from the games. I only own the story and my OC's.

SECONDARY DISCLAIMER: Amber belongs to TMHB77, and I am using her with his permission. The other OC's are mine, unless I get permission/requests from the owners, in which case I will say so.

Now that all that is out of the way, let's get to the story!

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The Legend of Spyro: Trial of Spirit

This story is set three years after New Frontier. The war against the Dark Master and his forces is still going on, but things have been unusually quiet for the past few years, and the denizens of the realm are just trying to go on with their lives despite the ever-present shadow on the horizon…

Chapter 1: Peace for Now

"Huh," Antares mused, stepping up to what seemed to be a pedestal. "I thought I'd explored every cave on this island. Who knew there was one this close to the Temple?"

"Hey, Antares!"

The brown dragon looked over his shoulder to see Spyro in the tunnel behind him. "Come on," the purple dragon called. "We've been down here for hours. Let's go before I forget what sunlight looks like."

"Okay, okay," Antares picked up one of the stones on the pedestal, examining the strange markings. _Never seen runes like this before…they look familiar though._ He replaced the stone and turned to leave the cave. As he was turning around his wing brushed over the altar, almost knocking one of the stones down. "Woops!" The brown drake caught the stone before it hit the floor of the cave and set it back on the pedestal, noticing a pattern on the surface now that some of the dust had been cleared away, the markings similar to the ones on the stones.

"I need to remember to come back here sometime," Antares said casually as the two dragons made their way back to the surface.

"Unless you mean a long time from now," Spyro replied, "leave me out of it."

"What, I thought you liked spelunking?"

"Yeah," the purple dragon took a moment to reply, squeezing through a particularly small tunnel. "But this is more like burrowing. The last time I was this deep underground I was inside a volcano."

"You've told me, remember?"

"Look, I've got nothing against caves, just…next time, ask Baho or Tia."

"What about Cynder?"

"You're not likely to get her down here; she likes fresh air too much. And right now I agree with her."

"Fine," Antares quipped. "Next time I find a cave full of ruins and ancient artifacts, I won't tell you."

"Deal." Felling a slight breeze, Spyro sniffed the air, looking around for a moment before he saw a patch of light. "There's the exit; let's get out of here."

The two dragons climbed up to the cave opening, blinking against the afternoon sunlight as they emerged from the darkness of the cavern.

"Come on," Antares prodded, seeing the smile on his friend's face. "It wasn't that bad."

"I never said I didn't like it," Spyro replied. "It's just that digging through caves was a lot easier a few years ago."

"Yeah," Antares looked down at his own muscular frame. "I guess we've all grown some the last couple of years. We don't have any classes this afternoon, do we?"

"No, but I was going to talk to Ignitus after his lectures."

"Okay, I'm gonna go catch some lunch; later." Antares took off, making for the field where the livestock was kept. Spyro was still for a moment, breathing in the autumn air before he took off for the Temple and Academy.

OO

Flying low towards the Academy, Spyro spotted a class letting out, Cynder, Amber and Erika among them. The purple drake wheeled around and pulled up, flapping his wings slowly as he descended. "Hi, Cynder!"

"Hi, Spyro," Cynder replied, waving to the other two as she left the crowd. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to see you." Spyro hugged the black dragoness. "We hardly have any time together lately."

"So we've been busy," she replied, returning the embrace for a moment before they released each other. "Everyone's just trying to live normal lives." Cynder smiled before continuing. "Who'd have thought that would be even more frantic than fighting a war?"

"About that…" Spyro hesitated. "Remember those feelings you used to get?"

"You mean the 'we're all going to die horribly' ones?" Cynder replied, frowning now. "Nothing like that in a long time…why do you ask?"

"I haven't been sleeping well lately; nothing in particular, something's just got me on edge."

"And your first thought is that Malefor's planning something?" the dragoness sighed, shaking her head. "And people used to call _me_ negative." She put her hand on Spyro's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Spyro, it's been three years, and the Guardians have contacts all over the place. I'm not going to say he's gone, but if he was up to something we'd know about it. I know you're used to protecting everyone, but right now, we don't need heroes." Cynder quickly kissed the purple dragon on the cheek. "At least, not as much as I need _my_ hero. I've gotta go meet up with the others; see you tonight?"

"I'll be there!" The pair split up, Cynder going to meet her friends and Spyro to the Temple to meet Ignitus.

"So…," Tia began as Cynder rejoined them. "What was that all about?"

"Spyro's getting paranoid again; something about not being able to sleep lately. I just had to remind him that there's more to our lives than the war right now."

"If his classes are as tough as ours," Erika suggested, "he's probably just worried about finals next week."

"No kidding," Tia replied, laughing. "I think I'd rather take on the Dark Master himself than Volteer's history test!"

"Don't even joke about that," Cynder said, shuddering.

"Sorry," the blue dragoness apologized. "I wasn't thinking."

"It's alright, you didn't mean it. Say, where's Amber?"

"She went home early," Erika answered. "Something about wanting to get ready for Thor and Baho."

"They are coming back tonight aren't they?" Tia asked. "I hope she's not planning to monopolize Baho again. He's my brother after all!"

"If I didn't know better," Cynder chuckled. "I'd say you were jealous…"

"How would you like someone taking up all of Spyro's time?"

"You mean more than the Guardians do?"

"Seriously!" Erika laughed. In the time since they'd come to the island, the copper-gold dragoness had changed from the timid girl Raj used as his personal scapegoat into a strong, if sometimes shy dragon.

"Seriously, Tia," Cynder went on, "you need to get a boyfriend."

"Yeah, sure…" Tia replied softly, lowering her eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Erika asked.

"No, it's nothing."

"Tia," Cynder prompted. "We're your friends, and I know something's up. If it's anything I said, I'm sorry, but if you need to talk to someone we're here for you."

"No, really, it's fine."

"You know, Tia," Erika suggested, "There's this guy in one of my classes that's been trying to get up the courage to talk to you…if you wanted I could introduce you."

"Thanks, but there's no need, really," Tia was getting visibly upset now.

"Erika," Cynder glanced at the lightning dragon from the corner of her eye. "Can you excuse us?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sure." The copper dragon turned to leave. Looking back over her shoulder, she called back. "Cynder, think you can come by later? I need some help on that chapter we're studying for Elemental Mastery."

"Sorry, I'm busy tonight."

"Okay, see you later!"

When Erika was out of earshot, Cynder turned back to Tia. "Come on, let's go to my room; we can have some privacy there."

"What for?"

"We need to talk; and no, you don't have a choice in the matter."

OO

Ignitus walked slowly down the hall in Temple, heading for his room after his lecture on Ancient Civilizations. Turning a corner he saw Spyro waiting for him at the door.

"Good afternoon, Spyro," the great red dragon smiled warmly at his protege.

"Hello, Ignitus," Spyro replied. "Do you have a moment?"

"I suppose I could spare a little time." Ignitus opened the door and beckoned Spyro inside. "So," the Fire Guardian asked once the two were inside. "To what do I owe this visit?"

"Honestly, I wish I had a better reason…"

"Something's troubling you?"

"I don't know," Spyro sighed. "I've just…lately I've had this feeling that something's wrong. I can't tell what it is, but I know that there's something coming; something bad."

"All you have is a feeling? No dreams or visions?"

"No, nothing; just this sense of dread. Cynder said that I should just ignore it, but…"

"Spyro, I do understand your concerns, and I'm glad that you brought them to me. However, we have not seen or heard anything to suggest that there is any exceptional threat at this time."

"But what about Malefor and Gaul? And the Scavenger pirates?"

"Our agents are keeping us informed of the Dark Master's activities, and it seems that the pirates have, for the most part, moved on after their battle with the apes. It is good that you remain vigilant, but do not worry yourself. If anything comes up that warrants your action, I will tell you myself. Until then, try to enjoy this peace while it lasts."

"If you're sure nothing's wrong…"

"Spyro, I learned long ago not to keep secrets from you. Trust me, right now your biggest concern should be keeping up with your classes."

"All right," Spyro smiled. "But when something does come up, try to tell me before it becomes a crisis this time."

"I'll do my best," Ignitus laughed. Just before Spyro left the room, the Fire Guardian reminded him of the morning's event. "Oh, and Spyro, next time you and Antares are going to miss one of Terrador's lessons, please tell him ahead of time."

"Y-yes, Ignitus," Spyro muttered, humbled, as he walked out.

OO

"Damn it!" Raj slammed his fist into the wall, leaving a sizable dent. "I've been here for three years, and you say I'm still not ready? What are you trying to pull, Malefor?!" In the three years since leaving Misted Grove, Raj had become Malefor's apprentice, filling the place left open when Spyro freed Cynder from the Dark Master's control. Unlike Cynder, however, Raj knew what Malefor was and had still chosen to follow the evil dragon willingly, tempted by the promise of limitless power and strength. And Malefor had delivered: while Raj's transformation was not as dramatic as Cynder's had been, he was still larger and more muscular than any ordinary dragon would be at his age, and when he wasn't holding his energy in check he practically radiated dark power. Such was the case now as he glared into his master's eyes through the large scrying crystal in his lair, a shadowy black aura rising from his body.

"Raj," the tone of bored annoyance in Malefor's voice showed that this conversation had taken place before. "You have been an excellent student, and you are powerful. In only three years, you have learned spells and abilities that took Cynder twice that time to master. But you are still not ready to face the Guardians…or Spyro."

"Spyro, Spyro, Spyro, I'm sick of hearing about that purple pest! What's so special about him anyway? He beat Cynder? Big deal; I'm already stronger than she ever was! Just let me go and kill them!"

"It's true that you are more powerful than Cynder, even while she was under my influence. But power alone is not enough to defeat Spyro. His will is formidable, and he is more than willing to give up his own life to save others. Even if you are more powerful, he is able to draw on a force that he isn't even fully aware of. That is his strength, and before you can face him you must be prepared to overcome it. Until then you cannot prevail. Now, if you don't mind, I grow tired of this discussion. Rest and ready yourself for your next training session." Malefor's eyes vanished, and the dark clouds swirling within the crystal faded away, leaving Raj to seethe in his room, now dark except for the occasional flash of lightning from the perpetual storm raging around the tower.

"Someday," the mottled dragon muttered under his breath, "I will go to fight him; then you'll see how powerful I really am…" Raj snapped his fingers, and the two conduits flanking the door withdrew into their sockets, then back into the wall itself. Still fuming, the dragon stalked over to his bed and settled down for a few hours of rest, visions of the fates he would inflict on each of his foes floating through his mind. His last conscious thoughts lingered on Spyro and Cynder, and how he would take _special_ care in dispatching those two.

OO

Within the cavern Spyro and Antares had been exploring, a strange breeze stirred the air, disturbing more of the dust from the pedestal. Now fully revealed, the runes seemed to glow a faint blue-green in the darkness of the cave.

"_At last,_ the voice seemed to echo hollowly from the walls of the chamber. _"The Seal is finally weakening. It seems the time has come for the second act of our performance."_

"_What is your bidding, Master?"_ the second voice was barely distinguishable from the first, and also seemed to come from the very stones.

"_Go forth, and let our return be known to all who would oppose us."_


	2. Chapter 2: Old Wounds

I didn't think it at first, but it's actually harder to edit the existing story than it was to write it in the first place.

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Chapter 2: Old Wounds

"Alright, Cynder," Tia snapped, obviously annoyed at being dragged off by her friend. "What do you think we need to talk about that we can't discuss in front of Erika?" Her eyes darted around the small room, modestly decorated in Cynder's style (the black dragoness favored subtlety, just a few wall hangings and a bookshelf, nothing overly loud or bright). "Or anyone else for that matter."

"Just something I've noticed," Cynder explained, closing the door. "In the time I've known you, you've never once had a serious relationship, at least not that I know about, and every time we even get near the subject you clam up. I can tell that it bothers you, and if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine, but you're always there for us, and I want you to know that if you need someone to talk to we'll listen."

After that, Cynder was quiet, waiting for Tia's reply. After a moment, Tia spoke up.

"You love Spyro," she began slowly, "don't you?"

"Of course I do," Cynder was taken somewhat aback; this wasn't what she'd been expecting. "He's done so much for me, I owe him at least that much."

"It's more than just gratitude, just like Spyro's feelings are more than just pity or compassion. You'd cross the world for him, and trade your life for his in a second." Tia's eyes closed. "And he'd do the same for you. Do you have any idea how lucky you are for that?"

"Tia, what are you talking about?"

"You're right," the blue dragoness' voice was soft, barely above a whisper. "I haven't had a boyfriend since we came here. I did once, but…"

"But?" Cynder tried to hide the curiosity in her voice, projecting only support and understanding.

"His name was Darrell. It was nothing really, just a young girl's crush on a handsome guy, but back then I thought it was something more than that. When my parents died he helped Baho get me through it sane; I thought I'd found the one, someone I could spend my life with…" A tear ran down Tia's face, and she wiped it away, blinking.

"What happened?"

"Like I said, I was a young girl, too young to see trouble coming before it was too late. One day, I don't know what it was, but something was wrong with Darrell: he was being moody, distant, not like himself at all. I tried to get him to talk to me, and he lashed out. As soon as he realized what he'd done, he apologized, asked if I was alright. I was more shocked than hurt, but when I got home…Baho saw the cut, and he made me tell him who did it. I tried to explain, but he wouldn't hear it. It hadn't been long since our parents died, and maybe he was afraid of me being hurt, maybe he was angry that our friend had done it, I don't know; he never told me and I never had the heart to ask. What I do know is what he did: Baho hunted down Darrell and…and…"

"If you need to stop, it's alright," Cynder gently placed a hand on Tia's shoulder, feeling her shudder with emotion.

"No," Tia took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "I started this, now I have to let it out or it'll just keep haunting me. Baho found Darrell and…it wasn't even a fight; people were saying that Baho was in some kind of trance, or more like a rage. He beat Darrell nearly to death, and it took three dragons bigger than he was to stop him. Needless to say, that was the end of my relationship, even though Darrell said he didn't blame me. I don't know if he did or not, but I didn't see him much after that. Ever since then, no males have asked me out, or even said they liked me. After all this time, everyone loves and respects Baho, but they still remember that day, and they're still afraid. The worst part is that it was my fault."

"Tia, if that's what happened, it wasn't your fault; you didn't do anything."

"I could have lied, or said it was someone else…"

"All that would have done is sent Baho after the wrong person. Baho would have attacked someone else for no reason at all, and that _would_ have been your fault. I'm not going to blame Darrell or Baho either; what happened was a terrible accident, and you shouldn't blame yourself for it, especially not after all these years."

"No, don't try to make me feel better; it was a miracle that Darrell wasn't killed, and I should have done something. I could have stopped Baho if I hadn't been so scared…I'm such a coward; whenever it matters, I'm always too afraid to do anything."

"That's not true. You're one of the bravest people I've ever met. You were willing to fight me in my Dark form, you stood on the front lines when Gaul's army attacked, and if you had to, you would have faced me alone to protect Spyro. Everyone's afraid sometimes; what makes you a coward is letting fear control you, and I've never seen you let that happen."

"That's different; all those times I had someone else there, but when I'm alone…"

"I know how hard that can be, but you aren't alone. You have friends here, just let us help you."

"I know, but this is something I have to face myself, only I'm just not strong enough."

"Tia, how long do you think I would have lasted without all of you? It may not seem like it, but we can help you, if you let us. Remember what Orion said: you always try to take everyone's burdens onto yourself, but sometimes you have to let your friends share the load."

"Thanks, but this is my battle; I have to fight it alone."

"That's your choice, but just remember," smiling, Cynder looked Tia straight in the eye. "We're always here if you need us. Now come on, I don't know about you, but I could use something to eat."

"Alright, the others should be out of class by now too."

"Cynder," Tia paused, balking slightly. "There's something I should probably tell you."

"Something else?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure the best way to say it…"

"After baring your soul like that? Should I sit down for this?"

"Well," Tia fidgeted nervously, her eyes darting around the room. "It's just that, well, when we met you guys, I kind of…I had a crush on Spyro."

"Really?"

"Nothing ever came of it, and I'd never think of coming between you two, but as a friend, I thought I should tell you."

Cynder laughed at Tia's admission. "Is that all?"

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be? I can understand it; Spyro's something else. Don't worry about it. Now come on, it's gonna be crowded now that everyone's done with class."

"You know," Cynder stopped at the door. "I'm not sure if I should tell you this, but I do know someone who's not afraid of Baho, and he's got it bad for you."

"You can't mean who I think you do?"

"The way he looks at you, I'm pretty sure…"

"No way! We're just friends, that's all."

"Whatever you say." Smirking, Cynder walked out ahead of the blue dragoness.

OO

Tia and Cynder sat outside, having a late lunch with Erika, Stephen and Antares. "So," Cynder asked, glancing around. "I know Amber decided to get home early today, but where's Spyro? He always eats with us."

"Who knows?" Stephen replied, taking a bite of his sandwich. After a moment, he swallowed and continued. "I thought I saw him heading to the training room a little while ago."

"Did he have any classes tonight?"

"Not that I know of. Maybe he just wanted some exercise."

"Hey Stephen," Tia spoke up after a moment. "How's your history report coming along?"

"Slow as hell," the cheetah winced at the thought of the deadline looming. "But I should be able to get it finished in time."

"I've barely started on mine," Antares added, stretching and leaning back against a tree. "Of course I work better under pressure. Just wait till crunch time and I'll be good."

"You know," Erika gave the earth dragon a friendly jab in the ribs. "That laid-back attitude of yours is gonna get you in real trouble one of these days."

"Hasn't hurt me yet," he chuckled, rubbing his side. "By the way, nice arm Erika; you been working out?"

"Nah, just know where to hit. Baho gave me some pointers."

"Well, if it isn't Cyndie and her fan club." A green dragoness, flanked by two nearly identical blues, stood over the group.

"Anelle," rolling her eyes at the green dragoness and her friends, Cynder got up slowly. "What do you want now?"

"What makes you think I want something, honey?" the false sweetness in Anelle's voice was obvious.

"Because you wouldn't come near me unless you wanted to gloat about something, or just try to ruin my day."

"All right, all right, there was a question I wanted to ask you…"

"Out with it."

"Well, I just wanted to know if the Dark Master was a good kisser."

"Why you little!" Antares and Stephen jumped up at Anelle's 'question', but Cynder raised her wing in front of them, stopping the pair from jumping the green dragoness.

"Cute," Cynder remained calm, but her friends could tell that the taunt had hit home. "Did you come up with that on your own, or did it take all three of you?"

"So, is that a yes?"

Cynder just smiled, pleased that showing indifference was annoying her enemy.

"You know, Anelle," Erika said casually, standing up and stepping next to the black dragoness. "I've been working on a new attack spell…wanna see it?"

"Oh," one of the dragons flanking Anelle feigned surprise. "Erika, we didn't see you there. Heard from Raj lately?"

The third member of the clique looked past the two, meeting Tia's glare. "Oh look, Tia's here too. How're your folks?"

"Listen up, Anelle," Cynder snapped. "We aren't looking for any trouble, but if you and your clones want to start something, let's at least go someplace a little less crowded."

Anelle glared into Cynder's eyes for a moment, but backed down when she realized the black dragoness wasn't bluffing. "You're as violent as ever, I see." She nodded her head to the side and turned to leave, her friends following suit. Just before they were out of earshot, she muttered, "I don't know what Spyro sees in that little witch."

"Why do you put up with her?" Erika asked. "You could rip them all apart."

"What good would that do? If they ever get the guts to try anything I'll deal with them; till then they can talk all they want." Cynder looked up at the sky, seeing that it was near sunset. "I've gotta go guys; see you tomorrow."

As Cynder left, the others got up and started to head home. "Hey Tia," Antares offered her a hand up. "Can I walk you home?"

"Sure," the blue dragoness smiled, taking Antares' hand.

"My Lady," Stephen offered his hand to Erika with an exaggerated bow. "May I have this honor?"

"The honor is mine," Erika replied, smiling sweetly. The two kept straight faces for a moment before bursting into laughter.

"Grow up you two," Antares quipped as he and Tia walked off down the path to the village.

OO

"Sorry I'm late." Cynder backwinged to land on the cliff next to Spyro, embracing the purple drake as soon as she had her footing.

"It's alright," Spyro said, returning the hug. After a moment, the two let go of each other and sat down on the cliff, looking out over the island, the sunset painting the land in a collage of red, gold, and purple hues.

"It's so beautiful," Cynder whispered, nestling in closer to Spyro.

"I don't know," he replied, wrapping a wing around Cynder's shoulders. "I think the view up here is even better."

"Did you get that cheap line from Antares?" she laughed, giving Spyro a shove on the shoulder.

"Hey!" Spyro rocked back, almost losing his balance. "Don't push me like that!"

"What," she teased, pushing him again. "Like this?"

"I'm serious," Spyro yelled, shifting his balance again. "Stop it!"

"Make me." Laughing, Cynder pushed Spyro again, this time a hard shove with both hands.

"I said watch i—w-whoa!" Overbalancing, Spyro reflexively grabbed Cynder's arm, pulling her along with him. Screaming, the pair tumbled over the cliff. Seeing the ground below speeding up to meet them, Cynder screwed her eyes shut, putting her arms over her face. A second later, she felt Spyro's hands shift as he took hold of her shoulders, then a small jerk as the purple drake spread his wings, slowing their fall into a gentle glide. Cynder slowly opened her eyes, seeing the forest passing under them. Glancing up, she saw Spyro looking down at her. Smirking, he chuckled softly and turned towards a small clearing.

As the pair set down safely in the clearing, Spyro released the dragoness and flapped his wings to land next to her, the smile still planted firmly on his face.

"That, was, _not,_ funny, Spyro!" Cynder gasped, getting to her feet slowly.

"Neither was shoving me off a cliff," Spyro offered her a hand up. "I'm sorry I scared you."

Taking his hand, the dragoness smiled wickedly."Oh, you're not sorry…not yet." She pulled hard, bringing Spyro down next to her. Rolling over quickly, Cynder pinned the purple drake down and kissed him. "You know, it's not like that was the first time I've done that."

"I hope you weren't trying to kill me this time," Spyro said. Shifting his weight swiftly, the purple dragon rolled over so that their position was reversed, with a surprised Cynder pinned under him. "If you were, I might have to do something about that…" Spyro leaned down and kissed the black dragoness passionately. After a long moment, the two released each other and Spyro rolled aside, freeing Cynder and lying down on his back next to her, both of them looking up at the stars above.

"I love you," Spyro whispered in Cynder's ear, taking her hand in his.

"I know," she replied, squeezing his hand. "I couldn't live without you."

For a while, they just lay still, savoring the peace of the night and each other's company.

"It's kind of funny," Spyro mused, laughing softly. "As terrible as this war is, if it wasn't for Malefor, we might not be here."

"What do you mean?"

"If things hadn't happened like they did, we might not be together now; we might not even have met each other…"

"When you put it like that, I guess you're right. Still, there's so much I wish hadn't happened…so much pain, so many lost friends and families."

"Don't dwell on it; what's done is done, and no matter how much we want to we can't change the past."

"That doesn't stop it from hurting, though."

"I know, but I can't stand to see you hurt. Just be thankful for what we do have."

"I am; believe me, I am."

After a few moments, Cynder spoke again. "Spyro, do you think somewhere out there, someone else is doing this same thing?"

"I hope so," the drake replied. "Otherwise, what are we fighting for?"

OO

Tia and Antares stopped in front of the house where Tia and Baho lived in the village. "I knew you were a ladies' man," the dragoness laughed, "but you expect me to believe you juggled two girls at once?"

"It's true," the earth dragon insisted. "Kept it up for about a month before they found out about each other; then I got the mother of all beatings."

"Antares, you're just too much sometimes!"

"Of course, there's just one thing that still doesn't add up."

"The fact that you ever thought it was a good idea to try dating more than one girl at a time?"

"No, the fact that if there were two of them, and they _each_ beat me half to death, shouldn't I be six feet under right now?"

"If Julia was one of those girls," Tia couldn't hold back her laughter any more. "Then you probably _were_ six feet under when she was done with you!"

"Yeah, she was definitely the worse one; Baho could take some lessons from that girl. Easy on the eyes though…"

"Okay, that's enough. We both need to get some sleep; good night."

"'Night." Antares turned to leave, but he hesitated after going a few steps. _Say something,_ he thought. _That's the girl of your dreams, and you're supposed to be the bravest guy in the world. Just tell her how you feel._ "Tia," he called, turning.

"Yeah?"

"…Sleep well." _Nice one, chump._

"You too." Smiling, Tia went inside, leaving Antares alone in the gathering dusk.

A moment later, Tia looked out the window, surprised to see the brown dragon still standing outside, facing the house. _Tia, what's wrong with you? You've known him for years; he's your best friend. There has to be something there, right?_ Not even aware of what she was doing at first, Tia began singing softly, more to herself than anyone else.

"_He is everything you want, he is everything you need…he says all the right things at exactly the right time, but he means nothing to you and you don't know why…"_

Outside, Antares stood in the dark, looking up at the house, at where he knew Tia's room was.

"_I am everything you want, I am everything you need…I say all the right things, at exactly the right time, but I mean nothing to you and I don't know why…"_

Slowly, Antares turned and headed towards his house. Feeling something run down his cheek, he reached up and wiped away a tear. "Hope no one saw that," he muttered, "otherwise my tough-guy rep is dead and buried." _It would be worth it for her though…_

Unknown to the drake below, a tear was running down Tia's face as she watched him leave. _Everyone I could have fallen for, and it had to be him…_

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**Disclaimer: **the song is Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon.


	3. Chapter 3: The Test

I think this chapter had the most changes made.

--- --- ---

Chapter 3: The Test

Spyro was standing in a dark room, perhaps a cave of some sort. Cynder and Amber stood in front of him, looking at him like they were waiting for something. "Well?" Cynder asked.

"What?"

"You have to choose," Amber explained, her voice as gentle as ever.

"Choose what?" Spyro shook his head in confusion. "I don't understand."

"Only one of us can live," Cynder began.

"And you have to choose which one," Amber finished.

"I-I can't make that choice!" Spyro took a step forward, but a wall of flames erupted in front of him.

"Then you've doomed us both…" the two dragonesses began to fade into the darkness.

"No! No!!" Spyro lunged forward, but it felt like something was holding his shoulders, pinning him in place despite his struggling.

"…o…ro…Spyro, wake up!" Spyro felt someone shaking his shoulders, and opened his eyes to see Cynder standing over him, fear and concern in her eyes.

"Wha…Cynder…what happened?"

"I don't know; I woke up when I heard you moaning, then you started screaming and writhing around. You must have had one Hell of a nightmare."

"Worse than most…"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine; it was just a dream, right?" the purple dragon looked around, realizing that it was morning, and that they were still in the clearing. "Did we fall asleep out here?"

"I guess so," Cynder looked up at the sky, noting where the sun was. "Come on, let's get back to the Academy before they have to send out a search party."

Getting up, Spyro turned to Cynder. "So, last night…did we…?"

"If we had," the dragoness smiled, her eyes gleaming, "you'd remember it."

"Pretty sure of yourself, aren't you?"

"Hey, Spyro, if you need to talk to someone about that dream, I'm always here for you."

"Thanks, but it's fine, really; I've had nightmares before." He wasn't going to tell her that the dream had felt disturbingly like one of the visions he used to get.

OO

When the two neared the Academy, they saw Stephen flagging them down. "Where have you two been?"

"Overslept," Cynder replied quickly.

"Well you'd better hurry up and get to the main hall; every dragon in the Academy is going there for something."

"What?" Spyro protested. "But I have history this morning. And Cynder's supposed to be in cartography."

The cheetah shrugged. "Guess there's something special going on today. Anyway, I've gotta go. Abstract math," he added with a grimace.

"Good luck with that," Cynder called over her shoulder as the two dragons ran for the main hall, only to be called straight to the front of the room by the Earth Guardian himself.

"I understand that Spyro is developing an unfortunate habit of missing his lessons," Terrador's deep voice remained level, despite the fact that his eyes were boring into the young dragons in front of him. "But I really expected better from you, Cynder."

"Elder Terrador," Cynder protested, "I know that we were late, but it was only a few minutes. Please, it won't happen again."

"For your sake," the massive green dragon fixed both of them with his gaze. "I hope not. Now, if you would kindly join the class, I have to explain today's lesson." Terrador was silent as Spyro and Cynder meekly moved over next to Antares and Erika, acutely aware that every eye on the room was on them.

"Tough break, guys," Antares whispered. "I you'd gotten here just a few seconds ago, his back was turned."

"Like he wouldn't have noticed?" Spyro muttered back.

"Quiet you two," Cynder hissed. "Do you want us to get in more trouble?"

"Besides, he's starting," Erika chimed in.

As if on cue, Terrador cleared his throat, the rumble silencing all conversation in the room as he began to describe the day's lesson. "Today's lessons will be somewhat special. Before we begin, I need to make sure that all of you are familiar with flying and fighting in armor; does everyone know how to at least wear chest guards and helms?"

No hands went up, but there was a wave of curious murmurs through the class. They had all worn armor at some point or another during combat training, but normally they only donned protective gear for sparring drills.

"I know that this is unusual, but for your own safety in today's test, the other Elders and I have decided that everyone participating must be able to use guards effectively. If you think that you'll have trouble, tell me now. There's no shame, and trying to be heroic could get you seriously hurt." The graveness of the Earth Guardian's last statement, and the stern concern in his expression got the point across, and a few hands went up hesitantly.

"Good," Terrador smiled encouragingly as he looked around the room. "At least you have enough sense to admit you have something to learn. Is there anyone else? No? All right, come with me, we'll see what we can do. The rest of you suit up; as much as you feel you need, but helms and chest guards are required."

"See you guys later," Erika joined the group following Terrador while Spyro, Antares, and Cynder went to the armory for their gear.

OO

Slowly, Baho walked through a peaceful garden, stopping in front of a marble pedestal. Crystals grew around the base, and a statue of red-stained marble completed Orion's monument. Built to honor those lost fighting Malefor's army, the Elders had decided that it was only fitting to adorn the memorial with the likeness of the Front Guard's fallen leader.

"Well, brother, I'm back. Another mission to the Atlawa…those idiots are as stubborn as ever, but they're starting to come around. I thought Thor was going to ruin everything, but it seems he gets along with Kain better than I do. Maybe there's some special language that only rockheads like them speak…"

"I thought I'd find you here."

Baho turned to the white dragoness. "Amber? What are you doing out here?"

"I just wanted to see you; you've been gone for over a week." Amber embraced Baho and kissed him. "Thor said you weren't quite yourself…is everything alright?"

"Just tired. You have no idea how hard it is to negotiate with them; I'm a warrior, not a diplomat."

"And so are they. You're doing fine. In a year you've done more with those llamas than the Elders did in ten. Now, I know that's not what it is. Please, Baho, don't shut me out…"

"I…I miss him, Amber. Orion was my anchor: someone I could always trust to keep me from going astray. Since he's been gone, I've felt lost. I keep second-guessing myself, wondering whether I'm making the right choices. It's almost like when Orion died, so did my confidence…"

"I miss him too, love. But remember, he's not gone; he's watching over us, I know it." Closing her eyes, Amber placed her hand on her chest. "And he's in our hearts. Orion will live on as long as we treasure his memory."

"Believe me," Baho said, embracing the white dragoness. "It's one of my fondest treasures."

Her eyes shining, Amber returned the embrace, nuzzling against Baho's cheek. "Don't lose hope in yourself; you're the strongest of all of us. Orion left you to carry on the fight for him. Have faith in that at least. He chose _you_ out of everyone else…"

OO

"I've never known Terrador to leave us in the dark about a test," Antares commented, tightening the straps on his heavy bracers and reaching for a large bronze breastplate. "Wonder what he's planning?"

"Probably something big," Cynder replied, fitting a plate over her hips. "He did say that the others were in on it."

"What are you kids yapping about?" Thor walked over, already decked out in full armor. "Damn Antares, you look terrible."

"Didn't sleep well," the earth dragon quipped. "What's your excuse?"

"We were just wondering why Terrador didn't tell us what this test is," Cynder broke in before the pair started bickering again.

"Prob'ly just trying to spook us. Not that it's working. You're not scared, are you doll?"

"Call me 'doll' again and I'll give you something to be scared of." The dragoness slid on a breastplate, then tried to reach behind her shoulders a couple of times before giving up. "Spyro, help me with these straps."

OO

Half an hour later the class, wearing various degrees of protective gear, was gathered outside the training hall in the Temple, waiting to hear from the Elders just what their test would be.

"You don't think we're going to be fighting today do you?" Spyro asked.

"I hope not," Antares replied through a yawn. "I don't feel anywhere near battle-ready right now."

"Spyro!" Anelle, for once not flanked by her cronies, slunk up to Spyro, brushing against his shoulder. "How are you doing this morning, big boy?"

"Fine," he replied coolly, not making eye contact and hoping the green dragoness would take the hint.

"Hey Anelle," Cynder snapped, getting up from where she'd fallen when Anelle shoved her aside. "Watch where you're going!"

"Oh, Cyndie," Anelle gasped in false concern. "I'm _so_ sorry, I didn't see you there!"

"You're sorry all right," Cynder muttered.

"What was that dear?"

"Look, there's Ignitus."

Spyro and Antares looked over to see that the red wyrm was indeed standing in front of the Temple doors, calling the crowd to attention.

"Listen up everyone," the Fire Guardian yelled over the general rumble. "I know that many of you are wondering why you're here instead of your normal classes. Allow me to explain: today, you are going to take a special test. It will be a real combat drill, with several opponents to defeat within a set time limit. I must warn all of you that while we will take steps to ensure your safety, these foes are real enough, and while no one will die, there is a chance that some of you may be injured. That is why we insisted on protective gear."

"Practice dummies?" Thor called from where he was standing a few yards away. "That's all this is? Why do we have to wear armor for that?"

"If you will let me explain," Ignitus continued sharply. "This will be a real combat drill. Since we obviously cannot put any of you in true danger, you will be fighting in the training room. The objective will be to destroy all of the targets within the time limit, and before you are seriously hurt. I cannot emphasize enough that although none of you will die, the hazards you will face in this test are real enough; if you aren't careful there is a chance that you will be injured. Now, if everyone is ready, we will begin the test immediately; please come forward, in alphabetical order. First, Abel."

From where they were standing, Spyro and the others weren't able to see who Abel was, but they were able to see the large door to the dojo open and close as he went inside.

"Well, I guess I'll be up soon," Anelle started towards the front of the crowd. "Good luck, Spyro."

"You know," Cynder muttered, glaring at the green dragoness. "I almost wish we were fighting today."

"What," Antares chuckled. "Is she finally getting to you?"

"No more than usual. I just can't stand it when she hangs all over you like that Spyro."

"Sorry," the purple drake placed his wing over Cynder's shoulders. "I've tried talking to her, but…"

"Don't worry about it; she's not going to stop until she's got you, and I'll just have to put up with it."

"Antares!" Tia ran up and hugged the brown dragon. "Glad I got here before your turn."

"And what was that all about?"

"What, I can't wish my best friend good luck? This test is supposed to be tough."

"Is that all?"Antares laughed. "No problem. I was in the Front Guard, remember?"

"Anelle!" Ignitus yelled.

"I'd better get up there," Antares broke from the group and started for the front. "It'll be my turn next."

"Awfully friendly for a 'good luck'," Cynder whispered to Tia as the earth dragon left.

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Just saying." The black dragoness smiled.

Some time later, Spyro's name was called. "Here goes. See you soon Tia."

"Break a leg!"

"Hope not to."

Leaving a trail of whispers and muttered comments behind him, Spyro made his way to stand in front of Ignitus.

"Ready, Spyro?"

"Ready as I'm going to be."

"Good. I think it's only fair to warn you that, given your abilities, we're giving you a slightly more challenging course than the others."

"I thought you weren't going to treat me specially?"

"This is an exception. And it's only…"

"To make sure I'm ready, I know."

Taking a deep breath, Spyro stepped through the door and into the training room. Feeling the air swirl around him, he closed his eyes. When he opened them, he saw that he was standing in Tall Plains. _If I didn't know better,_ he thought, looking over the edge of a 'cliff', _I'd think I was really on top of a mountain._

A sound to his left caught Spyro's attention, and he looked to see a volley of spikes heading at him. Acting on reflex, he jumped straight up, letting the needles fly under him. Landing, he took a step forward, and felt the ground under his foot shift slightly. Looking down, he saw a switch, which he had just depressed. Rolling aside to avoid the spikes the trap released, the purple drake felt another stone panel under him. _Oh come on!_ Activating his Dragon Time, he launched into the air, looking for a safe landing point. Seeing that there were very few areas free from the trapped panels, he decided to stay skyborne for the moment. "When Ignitus said they were making this hard, he wasn't kidding. I'd better find those dummies fast."

Flying low and fast over the jungle arena, Spyro landed in the center of a clear stone area place in one corner of the room. Just as he landed, two doors opened in the walls, releasing several training dummies, armed with various melee weapons. The purple drake scrapped the first wave without batting an eye, his skill and powers easily overmatching the animated mannequins. _Too easy…_ he thought as the next group emerged. These ones were a good deal larger and looked much sturdier than the first few. "Now this is more like it." Spyro took out one of the targets with his Earth Shot and dropped into a fighting stance. _Gotta make this quick; I've only got a couple of minutes._ As the dummies closed in, he charged an electric orb, releasing it into the midst of the crowd where it detonated, sending the constructs flying in a shower of sparks and parts. Switching to ice, Spyro formed a blade around his tail and spun around, slashing through the dummies that had gotten close to him. Taking a second to fire a volley of ice shards at another target, he took to the air again, circling around to make sure that he hadn't missed anything in the brush. Spotting movement, he swooped down, only to be met by the blast of a hidden cannon. His breastplate absorbed some of the impact, but he still fell to the ground, winded. Struggling to his feet after the fall, he heard a whooshing sound as a massive tree trunk swung towards him. With only seconds to spare, the purple dragon activated Dragon Time and rolled aside, the log clipping his wingtip as it sailed by. Taking to the air again, he strafed the area of the cannon with his fire blast, following with a fireball to finish the job and using his comet dash to demolish a second dummy. He returned to the arena, seeing that he had about a dozen large and midsized constructs to deal with all in the next few seconds.

"All right, here goes." Focusing his energy for a moment, Spyro gathered all of his remaining power in his core, envisioning a roaring earthquake. As the first of the brutes reached him, its fists raised for a brutal strike, the purple drake released his Earth Fury, the shockwaves radiating out from his body, pummeling the dummies into shrapnel. Panting, Spyro stumbled towards the door, vaguely aware of the illusory jungle around him fading away.

OO

"Spyro!" Cynder and Antares grabbed the purple dragon under the arms, supporting his weight as he practically fell out of the dojo. "Are you alright?"

"I'll…be better…if you help me get…this plate…off," he gasped.

"Got it." Antares reached behind him and cut the straps with his claw.

As the plate fell away, Spyro gasped, gulping in air. "Thanks. I couldn't breathe with that on."

"I can see why," Cynder said, examining the cracked and badly dented breastplate. "What happened in there?" The black dragoness showed signs of battle herself, but nothing worse than a shallow cut across her hip, just under the protective shield. Antares wasn't showing any wounds, but flinched slightly when his wing moved.

"What do you mean? You went in before I did."

"We were all given different tests. Antares and I checked with some of the others."

"I'm sorry," Ignitus and Terrador stepped over. "We only meant to test you," the red dragon explained. "It seems we went too far."

"No, it wasn't anything you did. I just got careless. Should have seen that cannon coming."

"If it makes you feel any better," Terrador said, "you weren't the only one who took a few hits. You actually did better than most of the class before you. But, if you're alright, we need to move on with the tests. There are still others who need to go through."

"I'm fine; go on."

"Elders!" Tia and Thor stepped forward, supporting a barely-conscious Baho between them. The silver drake had been brutalized: what skin wasn't darkened by bruises was covered in angry red burns, and he had slashes all over his body. The damage was so severe that some of his old battle-scars had reopened. His eyes were clouded over with pain and shock, but Baho tenaciously held out, not willing to give in to his wounds.

"Gods," Cynder gasped. "Baho…"

"I'll get a healer," Antares took off for the hospital at a run.

"What happened?" Spyro asked, helping the two set Baho down gently.

A trickle of blood running down his face, Baho's eyes fluttered open. "Th…they took her," the silver drake gasped out, along with another stream of blood, before passing out.

--- --- ---

Hopefully the changes don't do anything to kill the suspense.


	4. Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past

I just now got the time to log in. Sorry about the wait.

Chapter 4: Shadows of the Past

"Well," Yulena said, stepping out of the room where Baho was lying, still unconscious. "I've done everything I can, but it's really up to him at this point. Mostly I'm worried about those burns…they look worse than they are of course, but they're still pretty serious."

"How bad is it?" Tia asked softly, her eyes red from tears. Antares was silent, his wing over the blue dragoness' shoulders, but he nodded agreement, obviously worried.

"I can't say for sure," the cheetah replied, "but he needs to rest. Don't worry Tia, your brother's as tough as they come; it will take more than this to bring him down."

"You heard the lady Tia," Antares said encouragingly. "Baho's gonna be fine. What we need to do now is figure out what happened." Releasing Tia, he turned to Stephen's mother. "Yulena, we both know that anyone who could do that to Baho is trouble, and he probably has Amber. Can I talk to him, try to find out what happened?"

"I'm afraid not. Even if I could wake him up right now, his wounds are too serious to risk it. You're going to need to fly this one without him."

"Alright, thanks."

"Go, I'll take care of him."

On their way out, the two dragons almost ran over a young cheetah carrying several medicine bottles.

"Whoa!" Antares caught the boy before he fell, a bag falling to the ground with a few crystals spilling out of it.

"Sorry," Jasper stooped to pick up the gems. "I was just getting some things for mom. Is she still inside?"

"Yeah, she's with Baho."

"Thanks."

Returning to the Temple, they found most of the village already gathered; news of what befell Baho had spread fast. There were a few muttered questions and whispered dialogues, but the overall mood was hushed and somber. As Tia had said, Baho was loved by most and respected by all, and there wasn't a soul present that didn't wait for news, any news, of what had transpired. Silently, the crowd parted to let the two dragons through, and they entered the Temple without a word. Just before they went through the door, a hand reached out of the crowd and came to rest on Tia's shoulder. Looking up, she saw Stephen looking into her eyes, smiling warmly. The cheetah nodded, showing his support before releasing her. "He's my friend; that goes for all of us." It was all he needed to say.

OO

"Damn it!" Thor was pacing back and forth inside the Temple, muttering furiously to himself and shouting occasionally. "I should have been there! I knew he was off his game and I left him alone! I'm such an idiot!"

"Thor, calm down!" Cynder placed herself in front of the husky dragon, bringing him up short. "He was with Amber. Besides, you had no reason to think anything would happen, and we still don't know who or what it was. For all we know, all you being there would have done is given the healers two hospital cases instead of one."

"Cynder's right, boy," Terrador said. "What we need to do now is gather the facts, and then decide what to do about them. It's apparent that we have a new threat to contend with, but as of this moment we've got very little to go on. Spyro, Cynder, Erika, did you find anything?"

"Not much we can use," Spyro replied. "But we went to Orion's memorial and…" The purple drake shuddered before continuing. "It's a disaster. There was definitely a battle: the statue's been destroyed, half of the crystals are shattered, there are still some ice shards, I think those are from Baho's attacks. The only thing that really told us anything is that there are scorch marks everywhere. Those plus Baho's burns and I think we're dealing with a fire-wielder."

"Hmm…" the Earth Guardian was silent for a moment. "Any sign of Amber?"

"None," Erika's voice was steady, but her friends could tell it was just an act, as much for her sake as anyone else's; Amber and Cynder had saved her life, and the two of them were like family to her. "I think it's safe to say that whoever attacked Baho _did_ take her with them. He basically told us as much, but now…"

"This does add some more credibility, but we don't know that she's been kidnapped, just that we can't find her."

"Elder Terrador," Tia finally spoke up, her voice coarse with emotion. "Amber and my brother…they mean more to each other than I can say. The only reason she wouldn't be by his side right now is something is keeping her away."

"All we know at this point is that something's going on," Cynder summed up the situation. "Baho's hurt, Amber's gone, probably in trouble, and we're stuck here trying to guess at what happened."

"What do you want us to do Cynder?!" Thor's strained temper finally snapped. "We've searched the village, and there's no sign of Amber or whoever attacked Baho! Unless one of you can come up with an answer, I'll tear this island apart until I find something solid!"

"Calm down, Thor!" Antares barked. "We're doing everything we can with what we've got, which right now isn't much. I know how you feel, man; those two are like family to me. We'll solve this somehow."

Suddenly there was a sound outside like thunder, and the air seemed to move like a wave had passed trough the room.

"Did you guys hear that?" Erika asked.

"Did you _feel_ that?" Antares replied.

"Something's coming!" Spyro ran towards the door, the others right behind him.

Outside the gathered crowd was staring up at a pitch-black sky. "By the Ancestors," Terrador muttered, his eyes locked on the oily clouds overhead.

"Terrador! Children!" Ignitus and the other Elders joined them. "Are you alright?"

"We're fine," Spyro said. "What's going on? I feel power. It's evil…but it's different than Malefor. Older, maybe, or more concentrated."

"I feel it too," Cynder added.

"I've felt something like this before," Cyril offered. "But it was many centuries ago. No being that I know would have an aura like this."

"Look!" someone in the crowd yelled. "What's that up there?"

The group at the doors cast their eyes to several forms descending from the sky. Four of the figures were humanoid, but their features could not be seen under their masks and armor. The fifth seemed to be an orb or stone of some sort.

"No," Volteer whispered. "No…"

"Volteer," Zalphus asked, his voice hushed and his eyes no moving from the descending figures. "Are those…?"

"They couldn't be…" Terrador said.

"What is it?" Spyro asked, frightened not so much by the mysterious beings but by their obvious effect on the Elders.

"Oh gods," Spyro's trance was broken by Antares' voice, and the purple drake looked back to see…

"Amber!"

Now the group had come close enough to see that the orb was in fact a shimmering, transparent sphere, with Amber suspended inside it, unmoving. The four beings landed, small puffs of dust rising from the ground where they touched down. The one in front was wearing an ornate suit of plate armor, runes and symbols covering it in an elaborate pattern. The suit was primarily gold, with the markings in silver. It carried a large spear or scepter of some sort, runes winding up the shaft and across a crystal orb just below the blade. Its face was hidden behind a golden helm, only a glowing white slot showing where its eyes were.

The second was wearing red and silver, and had a scimitar at its waist. Its visor bore a likeness of a demonic face, the eyes pure black. There were runes on its body as well, the air around it shimmered in a heat haze, and the vegetation around its feet smoldered and burned away.

Behind the gold figure was a brute in gray-green plates. Towering above the others, it seemed to be hunched over, but the size of its shoulders made it hard to tell. Like the first one, it had a slit visor, an orange glow emitting from within. The beast's outline was hazy and blurred, as if the light was bending around it. It had no visible weapons, but being nearly as large as one of the Elders it hardly needed one to be dangerous. Its weight compressed the soil under it, leaving its feet sunken somewhat into the ground.

The fourth was wearing purple and silver, and unlike the others it had a cape flowing behind it. A double-ended halberd was slung across its back, the blades on either end protruding from the cape. Its features were slightly fuzzy, like it was out of focus. Dust rose from the ground in wisps at its feet. Its mask was featureless, the eye slits light blue in color.

"The Quatrain," Ignitus whispered.

The golden figure laughed; its voice was vaguely masculine, but sounded hollow and unnatural. "So, this is our welcome after so many centuries? It seems our reputation has diminished somewhat."

"Who are they?" Spyro asked Ignitus, his voice hushed.

Before the Fire Guardian could answer, the masked figure spoke again. "Bow before your new ruler, Argus, Lord of the Cosmos!"

"Not likely!" Thor yelled. Flanked by Antares, Tia, and Stephen, the yellow dragon leapt to the front of the crowd. Spyro, Cynder and the Elders were close behind them. "Who the Hell are you? And what did you do to Amber?!"

"Amber? Oh, the girl. She wouldn't come along quietly, so we had to subdue her. Don't worry; she hasn't been harmed…yet."

"Which one of you hurt my brother?!" Tia demanded.

"You mean the silver one?" the red figure asked by way of reply. "He didn't put up nearly as much of a fight as I'd hoped. So disappointing…"

"**You bastard!"** Antares and Tia lunged at the armored creature.

"Gah!"

"Oof!"

No one quite saw what happened; without seeming to move, the purple one had stepped between its companion and the dragons, drawn its weapon, and struck them to the ground.

"Icarus!" the red one whined. "I wanted to play!"

"You had your fun earlier, Tartarus," Icarus said flatly. "We aren't here to spill blood."

"Argus of the Cosmos, Tartarus of the Firestorm, Icarus of the Zephyr," Ignitus looked to the green one in the back. "And you would be Phobos of the Mirage. We know you: The Quatrain. What business do you have with us now, after so many centuries?"

"We have come to reclaim our ancient dominion," Argus answered. "If you truly do know of us, you will remember that we are the true rulers of this world, and we have returned to take our thrones once again."

"Ruled this world?" Cyril scoffed. "You never ruled anything; you tried to usurp the lands of the free people, and were summarily routed."

"Regardless of how your history records events," Argus continued, "we were robbed of our thrones and thrown into Limbo, unable to die, but not truly alive. We waited in that void for centuries, until we were finally released. Now that we are free again, we shall rule once more."

Argus' gaze swept across the crowd, before coming to rest on Spyro. "You!" The light pouring from his visor intensified, and his voice rose to a furious roar. "How is this possible?! How are you still alive?!"

"What do you mean?" Spyro asked, shocked into taking a step back by the outburst. "I-I don't know what you're talking about. I've never even seen you before."

"Don't worry, Spyro," Cynder whispered to him. "He's obviously insane; he doesn't know what he's saying."

"Don't feign ignorance, whelp!" Argus screamed, the runes on his armor beginning to glow faintly. "I will never forget the humiliation you inflicted on me!" He raised his scepter, focusing power into the crystal orb.

"Stop," Cynder pleaded. "He really doesn't know what you're talking about. Whatever happened to you, Spyro didn't do it!"

"Silence, girl! Unless you wish to share his fate!"

"My lord," Icarus grasped the haft of Argus' scepter, holding it in place despite the difference in the two beings' sizes. "I believe that the child speaks the truth. His aura is similar, yes, but different. Perhaps a descendant, or reincarnation…" Turning to look straight at the purple drake, he spoke again. "You, child, what is your name?"

"My name is Spyro," the young dragon replied. "Why? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Tell me, Spyro, do you know of a purple dragon named Malefor?" A gasp rippled through the crowd at those words.

"I know him," Spyro answered, standing defiantly. "But he's still alive, and he's no relative of mine. At least I hope he isn't. Do you know him?"

"We have had dealings with this one. But that is no matter now."

"I'd say it is," Antares said, recovering from the blow he'd received from Icarus. Helping Tia up, he continued. "An enemy of the Dark Master is a friend of ours."

"Despite what you've done," the ice dragoness added, glaring knives at Tartarus.

"Just let Amber go and we can try to start on the right foot this time." Antares extended his hand.

"Hmmm," Tartarus observed the gesture for a moment, then ducked and lunged, driving his fist forward into the brown dragon's chest.

Winded by the blow, Antares gasped and slumped over across the red arm. Tartarus let out a short laugh, and his fist exploded in a flash of flames, blasting the dragon back.

"Antares!" Tia turned as Terrador caught Antares and set him down gently. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he groaned, smiling at the dragoness. "Your brother hits harder than that." He winced and gasped as the motion stretched a large burn across his chest. Scooping up a few small gems, Tia placed them against the wound to heal it. "How dare you!" she spat at the armored fiend.

"We do not make friends with our subjects," Argus said. His voice showed no malice, but was dripping with arrogance. "We have come with an offer: counting my lieutenants and myself, there are four of us. You will select four champions to face us. If they can overcome us, we will withdraw without complaint. However, _when_ they fall, we will take our rightful place as supreme rulers of this realm, and the world. Choose whomever you like, with one condition." Argus pointed his scepter at Spyro. "He will be among them; we were defeated in the past, but this time I shall have my vengeance. You have three hours to choose and come to our stronghold."

With that, the four figures formed up again. Argus lifted his spear once more, and with a flash of pure white light, the four were gone, vanished save for Phobos' footprints and the charred ground where Tartarus had stood. There wasn't a sound; the crowd stood in shock at what had just happened. For once, even Antares and Thor were lost for words.

"Ancestors protect us," Ignitus whispered.

OO

"So," Spyro asked, "just who were those guys?"

Uncertain of what the looming battle would be like, Thor and Stephen had taken everyone that wouldn't be participating to find safe shelter, leaving Spyro, Cynder, the Elders, Antares, Tia, and Erika to plan and choose their warriors.

"It must have been almost a thousand years ago," Ignitus explained. "A group of four entities calling themselves the Quatrain attacked, claiming to be the world's true rulers. A group of freedom fighters opposed and eventually defeated them, but at a great cost: these beings were immortal, impossible to truly destroy. Therefore, the Guardians of that age performed a ritual to trap them in a pocket dimension, a void realm from which they could never return. The spell's power was so great that it cost the Guardians their lives, and now it seems that that sacrifice was in vain…"

"But that still doesn't explain how Malefor figures into all this," Cynder said. "I mean, I know he's old, but a thousand years?"

"It's true," Volteer replied. "Back then, we were around your ages, but of course we couldn't just stand by and let those brutes run rampant across our home. So we stepped up to the frontlines, along with a cocky little purple upstart who had far too much power for his age."

"Malefor," Spyro muttered, and Ignitus nodded.

"But, I thought Malefor was the _Dark_ Master," Antares interjected. "Why did he help you guys?"

"Malefor was not always as he is now," Terrador explained. "Once, he was thought to be our greatest hero, before he was corrupted by the darkness and his own arrogance and ambition."

"Be that as it may," Ignitus broke in. "It was in the past, and while it certainly does bear on the present, it doesn't change the fact that here and now we're running out of time. I want no part of Argus' games, but I don't doubt for a moment that if we don't find a way to stop him he will once again lay waste to the land. Now, we have less than three hours to select our four champions and…"

"Three," Spyro said. At the Fire Guardian's puzzled look he went on. "I'm going. That means we need to choose three others to meet his condition. And then find his lair."

"Spyro, I know that Argus challenged you, but it's too dangerous for you to go."

"No more dangerous than it would be for anyone else. Besides, I have more battle experience than anyone around here but Cynder and you five. If I may have to fight him eventually anyway, I might as well go in now, before anyone else gets hurt. Normally I'd say that Baho could go instead, but he's in no condition to fight right now. There's no choice; I have to go."

"If Spyro's going, then so am I," Cynder stated, the look in her eyes daring someone to protest.

"Then we have to choose two others," Cyril said, looking at the others. "I imagine one of you is going to say that you have to come along?"

"Those bastards hurt my brother," Tia said. Her voice was flat, but her entire body was shaking with rage. "I'm going to make sure they pay."

"That just leaves us, Erika," Antares turned to the copper dragoness. "So, how do you…"

"Go on," she answered. "You're just going to find some way to talk your way into it anyway, so why waste the time?" She quickly hugged Cynder around the neck. "Just come back in one piece, okay sis?"

"Sure thing," Cynder smiled.

"And you tell Baho not to worry," Antares patted Erika on the back. "We'll kick their asses and bring Amber back."

"You got it."

"Come on," Antares said, turning for the door. "I think I know where they are."

"Good luck, children," Ignitus blessed them.

"Ancestors be with you," Volteer added.

Without another word, the four young warriors walked out the door and took to the skies, Antares leading the way.

--- --- ---

Getting the next chapter finished as we speak.


	5. Chapter 5: The Beginning of the End?

Sorry about the wait; small case of writer's block.

--- --- ---

5: The Beginning of the End?

"Antares," Spyro asked as the four dragons flew south from the Temple. "Are we going where I think we are?"

"That's right," the brown dragon replied, his eyes locked on the landscape ahead. "That cave we found yesterday."

"What makes you think they're there?"

"Those markings on their armor looked like the runes on that altar I found."

"I hope you're right; we don't have a lot of time left, and they still have Amber."

"You don't need to remind me. Come on, I think we can get some more speed." Flapping his wings to build momentum, Antares rolled over and dove, running low and fast over the valley towards the cliff face, the others following in his wake.

"He's taking this pretty seriously," Cynder whispered to Tia. "I mean, usually he acts like he's having fun going into battle…"

"It's one of Antares' rules: do what you want to him and he'll just laugh it off, but Gods help you if you hurt his friends."

Landing in front of the dark cavern mouth, the young dragons simply stood in silence for a moment.

"They're definitely in there," Cynder said, feeling the Quatrain's power radiating from within.

"Come on," Spyro took a few steps toward the cave, his face showing solemn determination. "We came here for a reason." The other three fell in behind him, walking into the inky blackness of their foes' lair.

OO

"Ignitus," Volteer asked, pacing back and forth in the chamber as the Fire Guardian gazed into his scrying pool. "Are you sure we did the right thing, sending the children? I know that they are more than capable of defending themselves, but this is the Quatrain: enemies that we barely defeated, and then only because of Malefor and the Ancestors' seal."

"I'm well aware of the situation, Volteer. But this is personal for them. That's their friend being held hostage, not to mention what they did to Tia's brother. Besides, you felt Astos' power, and Icarus has lost none of his speed. As much as I hate to admit it, we're just too far past our prime to face them now."

"Ignitus is right," Terrador said. "If we were to fight them now, we would be destroyed before we could make a move. All we can do right now is to have faith in the children and hope for the best."

"And plan for the worst," Ignitus broke in, looking up from the pool. "He doesn't like the idea any more than we do, but the Chronicler has agreed to give us the instructions for the Seal. Volteer, you're the fastest; go to the White Isle and retrieve the scroll. The rest of us will make what preparations we can."

"Me?" the yellow wyrm protested. "Go to that godforsaken island?"

"Yes, you, Volteer. If Spyro and the others are defeated, the Seal of Infinity may well be our only chance to stop Astos and his servants from overrunning this world a second time. A fate which could be even worse than Malefor's rule. There's no telling how much time we have left; maybe hours, maybe minutes. You're the only one of us who's fast enough to reach the Island and return in time to do any good."

"I can do it."

All four Elders turned to see Erika and Zalphus standing in the doorway.

"I can go get the scroll," the dragoness repeated. "But you'd need to show me how to get there."

"I tried to talk her out of it," Zalphus explained. "But the girl is persistent."

"My friends are in there. I'm not much good in a fight, but I'm the fastest flyer on the island. Please, Elders, let me at least do this."

"It's not an easy journey, my dear," Cyril said. "But if you truly believe you're up for the task, I can show you the way. But before I do, I need to be sure that you know: the Chronicler is not cruel or malicious, but his sanctuary is protected by ancient power, and you may risk your life to enter..."

"I've faced death before; just show me the path."

"Very well; come with me." Cyril led Erika to a table with several charts on it, showing her one with the Isle clearly marked, along with the best paths by air to the Chronicler's home.

Zalphus faced Ignitus, Volteer, and Terrador. "I didn't hear much of what you were discussing, but I can guess what you're planning. Are you sure you want to go through with it?"

"If there was any other way, old friend, we would take it," Volteer replied.

"I was going to speak with you as soon as Volteer left," Ignitus explained. "I am not so proud as to believe that we are in any way superior to the Ancestors, and if the time comes we will likely pay the same price for the safety of the future. Should that happen, you must take up the mantle of the sole Elder, and lead our people until such time as others are worthy. I know that it is a great burden, but I have to ask this of you Zalphus."

"If that is all I can do," the silver wyrm answered. "Then it is my honor to fulfill this request. I would gladly take any of your places in the ritual, but if the lore is true then only the Guardians have the power to complete the spell. Still, I pray to the Ancestors that we don't have to resort to such drastic steps."

"As do we all." Cyril came up to the group, a slightly nervous Erika by his side. "The girl is ready, brothers."

"Then good luck, Erika," Terrador said. "And may the Ancestors watch over you."

Erika hugged Zalphus quickly, wrapping her arms around the trunk of his foreleg. "Take care, Elders. I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, the copper dragoness ran from the Temple and took to the sky, flying full speed for the White Isle.

"I'll tell the Chronicler she is on her way," Ignitus said. "Hopefully he will let her in more easily considering the circumstances."

"I wouldn't count on it," Cyril huffed. "He's so much against interfering it was a miracle we could convince him to hand over the scroll at all. I hope she's ready for his gauntlet."

"She'll be fine," Zalphus insisted. "Our hopes are riding on her, and she knows it. She won't fail."

"Her parents must be proud," Terrador commented. "That girl was terrified, but she's doing what she has to do for all of us."

"Actually," Zalphus said, "She didn't tell her parents. She said that she doesn't want to worry them." He turned to the door. "I'd better go tell them; I'll be back as soon as I'm done."

OO

"She's…gone…_WHERE?!_" the massive gold dragon was shaking with rage, the air around him crackling with energy. Zalphus remained calm, standing his ground before the fury of a frightened father.

"She's gone to the Chronicler's sanctuary to retrieve an ancient scroll that may well hold the key to saving this world. She's helping us fight in her own way. I'm sorry you had to find out like this, Farren, but she refused to tell you before she left because she knew you'd try to stop her."

"And why didn't you try to keep her here? She looks up to you like a second father; you could have told her to stay here."

"I did. I insisted that she wait here where it is safe, or to at least tell you she was leaving, but she wouldn't hear it. Your daughter is strong, Farren, and you should be proud that she has the courage to choose her own path."

"This has something to do with Cynder, doesn't it? I should've known she was a bad influence: the minute that punk Raj was gone, my daughter latched on to another troubl..." Farren was cut off by his mate slapping him full across the face.

"Do I need to remind you that Cynder and Amber saved our daughter's life? And now they're both in danger. What would you have done?"

"Ileari, what I would have done isn't important. My daughter is out there risking her life."

The yellow dragoness hugged her mate tightly. "I know, I know. I'm just as scared as you are. But we couldn't have stopped her even if we had known: she has my brains and your spirit; she'll be fine. Instead of screaming at Zalphus, we need to wait for her to come back, and pray to the Ancestors that she's safe."

"I'll do better than that," Farren said, heading for the door. "I'm going after her. Even if I can't make her come back, I can at least make sure she's safe."

"Actually, Farren," Zalphus stopped the gold dragon. "I could use your and Ileari's help; I'm sure they've guessed it by now, but I need to tell Antares' parents that he's gone with Spyro."

OO

"This is new," Antares said as the dragons walked down a wide hall within the mountain. "Yesterday Spyro and I had to just about tunnel our way through here. Now..."

"It must be Argus," Cynder replied. "It's kind of scary, though, if he could change this much so fast. We need to be careful."

"I don't care how much power he has," Tia said. "He's going to pay for what he's done."

"Cynder's right," Spyro added. "Who, or whatever they are, Argus and his henchmen were strong enough to stand against the Guardians...and Malefor."

"You think we can't win?" Antares asked. "That's not the Spyro I know."

"Maybe we can't. Think about it: Malefor is so powerful that even locked away in the Dark Realm we're terrified of him. And these four were able to fight that. What chance do we really have?"

"Plenty," Cynder stated firmly, turning to look into the purple drake's eyes. "First of all, they fought Malefor when he was our age; you're probably just as powerful as he was then. Second, they've been locked away in Limbo for a thousand years, so they're most likely weaker than they were. Lastly, I know one thing that guarantees we'll win..."

"And what's that?"

"We can't afford to lose."

"If we're done with the pep talk," Antares broke in. "We kind of have an ancient evil to defeat, so can we move on?"

As if on cue, Argus' voice rumbled through the tunnel. "So, these children are the world's four champions? I admire your bravery, but know that you have chosen death; none of you will leave this labyrinth alive. This is your last chance to turn back, if you value your lives."

"You don't scare us, Argus!" Tia yelled back. "We're here to destroy you, and get Amber back."

The chamber rumbled with Argus' laughter. "Very well; if you wish to face me, you must navigate the maze of my lair. But hurry; I still hold your friend's life in my hands, and should I so will it, her fate could be most grim indeed."

The hall ahead shimmered, resolving into a labyrinth of turns and forks. "If you dare to brave my challenge," the Lord of the Cosmos said. "Come forth, ye doomed fools."

"'Abandon hope all ye who enter here'," Cynder muttered. "Come on, we don't want to keep Amber waiting."

The four friends started off down the passage, each keeping their own thoughts on the trials ahead. At first, they navigated the maze by a simple approach: going straight as far as they could, and taking only left turns when the option was there. It was really uneventful, and would have actually been boring if it weren't for the gravity of their mission. Then, they found the first of the hazards waiting for them.

Antares was in front, trusting a sense of direction well adapted to finding his way through underground caverns, when there was a click and the sound of stone shifting. The floor suddenly dropped out from under him, and he had to scramble to get ahold of the edge of the pit before he plummeted down into the unfathomable blackness below.

"Geez," he growled as Spyro and Tia hauled him up. "How did I not see that coming?"

"Probably because nothing's happened until now," Tia replied. "They weren't throwing trap after trap after us, so we didn't expect there to be one."

"And as far as this one," Cynder explained, pointing out a trigger a few feet back that she had stepped on. "Sorry."

"Anyway," Antares looked down into the chasm. "The ceiling's too low to fly in here, and I for one don't want to know what might be down there."

"Looks like we're turning back," Spyro said.

A high, chattering noise behind made them turn around.

"Easier said than done," Tia said, as half a dozen lizard-like humanoids charged down the corridor towards them.

"Maybe they're friendly?" Antares asked sarcastically, taking up a fighting stance.

"Don't count on it," Cynder replied.

"It's too narrow to fight here," Tia looked at the cramped quarters, glancing behind at the open pit. _Maybe_..."Spyro, Cynder, think you guys can use that?" she tossed her head back to indicate the gulf as the reptilian creatures closed in.

"Maybe." Spyro shot out a stream of electricity that enveloped one of the beasts, and Cynder scooped up two more in a cyclone. Almost at the same instant, they threw their heads back, tossing the enemies over the edge and down into the dark depths.

"We've got the rest," Antares said, charging his attack. "Ready Tia?"

"Oh yeah!" The two charged their energy and released their Dual Tech. **"Hailstorm!"** Both dragons fired a volley of projectiles, the stones and ice shards ricocheting off of each other and filling the hall with shrapnel. Squealing with shock, two of the creatures were cut down by the attack. The last one tried to flee, but Spyro brought it down with an ice dart before it had gone a few feet.

"Honestly, I was expecting more of a challenge," Antares mused, looking down at one of the fallen creatures. "These things are a lot weaker than apes."

"Consider yourself lucky," Cynder replied, also inspecting one of the bodies. "These are kobolds. Lesser demons; intelligent but cowardly. They were probably here to herd us into that pit."

"Cynder," Tia asked, "when you say 'lesser demons'...?"

"Beings from another plane, powered by dark magic. As a rule they're evil and cruel, and while there might be exceptions I've never heard of any. And like the 'lesser' part implies, there are stronger ones, much stronger. We'd better hope we don't run into any of those..."

"How do you know so much about this?" Spyro asked.

"Three guesses."

"Oh..."

"Don't give me that; it's not like I ever used any forbidden spells...well none except that one. Besides, 'know your enemy', right? This stuff comes in handy at times like this."

"So," Antares said off-handedly. "What are the odds of us running into a big one down here?"

"I really don't know; summoning a greater demon, or anything beyond an imp or goblin really, takes the right rituals and a good bit of power. Of course, Argus and his men probably have enough, so the real question is _will _they call anything big."

"In that case, let's get going before anything big decides to show up."

The dragons made their way back to the last fork, and turned down the passage they'd skipped before. Stepping down the path triggered a shower of spikes from the walls, but Spyro's dragon time got them out of harm's way, and sheets of ice from he and Tia blocked up the slots, rendering the trap useless. Carefully making their way down the hallway, the group found themselves in a small room.

"What's wrong?" Tia asked, noticing that Spyro had pulled up short.

"Something doesn't fell right…" at the purple dragon's words, the floor shifted underneath them, causing the dragons to start.

"What the…?" Antares was cut off by the sudden appearance of Icarus.

"Greetings," the warrior bowed slightly. "I commend you for making it this far. However, you now face a choice…"

"The only choice I need to make is how to take you down!" Antares shot a pair of earth missiles at Icarus, but the projectiles merely passed through him, taking chunks out of the far wall.

Chuckling, Icarus went on. "There are two doors leading from this room: one forward and one back. You may choose whichever one you like. However, the moment the last one of you moves, the lever within the floor under your feet will be released, and both paths will be sealed. You must choose who will be left so that the others may go on. There is no escape; sacrifice one or lose all." With those words, the silver-clad figure vanished without a trace.

"He's bluffing," Antares said, taking a step forward. Before he could move, Cynder grabbed the earth dragon's shoulder.

"No! He's serious. That's why the floor dropped. If we step off this part of the floor, the room will be sealed and any of us that can't get out are trapped here."

"So what do we do?" Spyro asked, shifting his weight nervously.

"I don't know; give me a minute." Taking a breath, the black dragoness closed her eyes. "Alright…Antares, how heavy is your stone cocoon?"

"I dunno, couple hundred pounds…why?"

"Tia, how much do you weigh?"

"What does that matter…" the blue dragon's eyes lit up with comprehension. "Not that much. Good idea, Cynder."

"Cynder," Antares asked, "what are you planning?"

"We can use your boulder to weigh down the platform. Then Tia can get out."

"Cynder," Spyro turned to face her. "That's brilliant!"

"Except for the part where that still leaves the rest of you stuck," Tia pointed out.

"I'm working on it. Let's take this one step at a time."

Antares formed a stone shell around himself, the solid cocoon enveloping him. "All right," his voice was muffled by the thick stone. "This is as solid as I can make it."

"Tia, go!" At Cynder's command, the ice dragoness launched off the switch, leaping through the door in one jump. Landing just outside the room, Tia looked back to her friends. "Well, did it work?"

"It looks like it: the switch didn't move."

"Then come on; Spyro can make another boulder and you guys can get out of there."

"One problem with that," Antares said, the boulder crumbling away as he released the spell. "I don't know about Spyro's, but the shell only lasts a couple second after I stop the spell. And I can barely move with that thing."

"So we're still stuck here?" Spyro asked.

"Antares, you're next."

"What?"

"Spyro can make a shell for you."

"But then one of you will be stuck here."

"I won't let that happen." Cynder looked Antares in the eyes. "Trust me."

"All right." Spyro formed a stone around himself, and Antares ran for the door. As the brown drake stepped off the switch it shifted slightly beneath Spyro and Cynder.

"Now what?" Spyro asked, as Antares and Tia looked on, worry etched into their faces.

"Now, we have to do this just right."

"Just go. I'll hold down the switch."

"No, Spyro. We're both getting out of here. I just need a moment to think."

"If we both move, we'll both be trapped. Save yourself at least."

"Don't even _think_ about pulling that heroic sacrifice crap, Spyro! We'll figure out a way to get us both out of here."

"But there's no way to hold the switch down."

"Maybe we don't need to…Antares, Tia, can you see anything that looks like a door over there?"

"Nothing," Antares replied after a moment. "I can't find anything."

"Me neither—wait, it looks like there's a crack in the ceiling…I think the door falls down from there."

"Hmm…" Cynder closed her eyes for a moment. "Spyro, how long can you stay sped up?"

"Well, it feels like about ten seconds to me, so maybe four or five for everyone else. But I can't take anyone with me."

"You won't have to. When I tell you, speed up and run for the door."

"I'm not leaving you here."

"That's not what I'm planning." Cynder took a few deep breaths to steady herself, then began to fade away into her Shadowdance. "Now!"

With split-second reflexes, Spyro went into Dragon Time and jumped for the door, seeing the black mist begin to slide across the room in slow motion. As he left the platform, a stone slab fell into view, dropping slowly to the floor. Just on the other side, he could see the panicked faces of Antares and Tia watching what he was sure looked like a blur of purple light and a shadowy fog racing for the rapidly closing passage. Throwing in another burst of speed, Spyro dove under the door, feeling it brush his tail as he barely cleared the pass.

"That was too close," Tia gasped out as Spyro slowed back to normal.

"Are you okay man?"

"I'm fine, but…" Spyro looked around at the mist surrounding them. He hadn't seen if the entire cloud had made it through before the door shut. He didn't know what would happen if her body was separated like that. Would she be able to reform? What would happen if she tried without all of the cloud present?

_I shouldn't have let her do that…if something happened…_

His fears were put to rest as the mist coalesced into a whole and healthy Cynder. The dragoness was breathing heavily, but seemed to be unharmed. Spyro embraced her, tears of relief running down his face.

"That was way too close," Cynder breathed, returning the embrace. "Sorry I scared you."

"You're all right, and we all made it out. Just promise me you won't do anything like that again."

"I hope I won't have to."

"Are you two okay?" Tia asked. "You had us worried."

"We're fine," Spyro replied, releasing Cynder. "Let's get going."

"Hey," Antares asked as they moved down the passage. "Do you think Icarus did that on his own, or on orders?"

"I don't think it matters," Spyro answered. "Either way, we just barely got out of it."

Looking ahead, the group was faced with a stone room, blank except for four ornate doors along the far wall and a statue of a demonic beast. Almost twelve feet tall, a dozen large twisted horns surrounding its head, with back-bent hoofed legs and eight-inch-long claws on each of its four hands, it was truly something out of a nightmare. "Any idea what that's supposed to be?" Tia asked.

"Matthias Phobos Tyrannous," Cynder replied in a whisper. "Matthias the King of Fear."

"Is he one of those bigger demons you mentioned earlier?"

"One of the biggest; he's an arch-fiend that Malefor dealt with. I was always afraid to ask what kind of deal they had…"

"Uh-oh," Antares muttered. "I think we've got a problem!" Looking up, the other dragons saw what Antares had seen: the black eyes of the statue had begun to glow with a dull orange light. With a series of cracks the creature stood of to its full height and roared to life. Looking down, Matthias fixed the shocked young dragons with his baleful gaze. "Fuck." The brown dragon's words echoed the thoughts of the group.


	6. Chapter 6: Demon's Lair

Chapter 6: Devil's Lair

"Fuck." The four dragons looked on as the statue of the demon lord Matthias roared to life and stepped toward them. With a feral growl, the beast lifted its claws and slashed toward the group. "Move!" Antares yelled as the group scattered.

"Cynder," Spyro called, not taking his eyes off the demon. "What do you know about him?"

"Not much," the dragoness threw herself aside, narrowly avoiding another slash of Matthias' claws. "He's an upper level demon lord, and he made some kind of a deal with Malefor to give him troops for the war."

"How about something to help us beat him?" Antares fired a double Earth Shot, but the blast didn't even faze the massive enemy. "Like maybe a weak spot?" Antares leapt back away from the demon's counterattack.

"I don't know. I never trained to fight greater demons."

Spyro Comet Dashed into the demon, but was stunned by the impact. Taking the opportunity, Matthias raised his hand to finish the purple drake. "Oh no you don't!" Tia fired a charged ice bomb into Matthias' face. The attack barely had any effect, but distracted the demon long enough for Spyro to roll clear.

"Thanks Tia."

"Any time, hero!"

"Cynder," Spyro yelled, laying down a coat of ice around Matthias' feet and legs, holding him for a few seconds before he shattered the ice shell. "There has to be something. Haven't you read anything that might help? Maybe something that might help get rid of him?"

"I have one idea, but it's risky." Cynder rolled away from another attack and answered with a stream of acid that had no effect other than scarring the stone hide.

"Well nothing else is working," Antares shouted, a barrage of Earth Missiles glancing off the demon and ricocheting into the wall. "Give it a shot!"

"Matthias!" the black dragoness ran in front of the demon. "Ettul sei ne preatt?"

Matthias paused, apparently taken aback by whatever Cynder had said. "Preattim Argus vi."

"Caotun aveu Argus ne?"

"Aveim leas baldi."

"Cynder," Spyro asked hesitantly, "what are you doing?"

"Trying to save our lives," she replied. Turning back to the demon, she spoke again in the same strange tongue. "Argus aveu sor baldi?"

"Ye."

Without warning, Cynder reached out and slashed Spyro's shoulder with her tail blade.

"Cynder! What are you doing?" The cut was shallow, just enough to get a few drops of the drake's blood on the blade.

"Trust me; Antares, Tia," Cynder ran a claw down her own arm, drawing a few drops of blood. "I need some of yours too."

"Cynder watch out!" Spyro hurled himself into the dragoness, shoving the two of them aside as the demon lord's claws crashed own inches behind them.

"Damn! I should have known he wasn't going to wait for long."

"What were you thinking?"

"Matthias was promised our blood…so I'm going to give it to him."

"What?!"

"I don't have time to explain. You just have to trust me."

"Alright, what do we do?"

"Spyro, you need to keep him busy for a few seconds. Antares, Tia, I just need a little blood."

"Fine." As Spyro engaged the demon, Cynder scratched each of her friends on the shoulder, drawing the few drops she needed, then scraped Spyro's blood off her tail blade. "Spyro! I've got it! Get clear!"

Spyro jumped away, and Cynder leapt onto Matthias' back. "Entahim requis!" The dragoness drove her bloodied claws into the demon lord's shoulder. "Eatten convein fina!"

The fiend paused in mid swing, its claws less than a foot from Spyro's head. Matthias stood still for a moment, then began laughing maniacally. "Er benatim gi sa? Daom!" Reaching behind his head, he grabbed Cynder around the neck and flung her across the room. Stunned, she skidded to a stop near the wall, struggling to get back up. A red aura formed around the demon's horns, and he held out his hand, pointing at the prone dragoness. "Ne ilfaem e se drahtna!" A crimson beam fired from his finger, arcing towards his terrified enemy.

"No!" Spyro leapt in front of the beam, taking the full force of the attack that was meant for Cynder. The scarlet beam seemed to disappear into the purple dragon's chest and then…nothing. Spyro slowly opened his eyes. _What? But, I was sure he hit me…_

With a feral yell, Antares launched himself at Matthias. The demon swung savagely with two of its clawed hands, and the brown drake was struck down. His chest and stomach ripped open, Antares lay unmoving in a slowly widening pool of his own blood.

"Antares nooo!" Tears streaming down her face, Tia lunged at the demon. No sooner was she in the air than the fiend roared, a blast of white-hot energy flying from its maw and engulfing her. With a scream of pure agony the blue dragoness was incinerated, her ashes scattered by the blast.

Spyro looked on in shock at the sight of his friends' deaths. Then Matthias reached for him; he knew he had to defend himself, to fight back or get away, but his body refused to move. At the last second, Cynder shoved him aside, only to be captured herself. Spyro could only look on helplessly as the fiend snapped her wings, her cries stabbing into the purple dragon's ears and heart. As Cynder struggled frantically, the demon grasped her around the hips and neck and pulled, the dragoness' shriek of pain rending the air. Spyro tried to look away, but couldn't. The drake stood transfixed, unable to pull his eyes away as the demon lord ripped Cynder apart, blood arcing through the air.

"Spyro!" the voice was faint; Spyro wasn't sure if he'd even heard it. He stood still, shock and grief rooting him to the spot.

"Spyro!" it was Cynder's voice, he was sure of it. But it couldn't be; he'd just watched her die. Was the demon taunting him? Torturing him before the end?

"Spyro, snap out of it!" this time he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder, jolting him out of his trance. He looked to the side and saw Cynder looking into his eyes.

"Cynder, but…how? I saw…" he couldn't bring himself to finish the sentence. He was afraid that saying the words would make them true.

"It was an illusion. Matthias was trying to break your will."

"Hey, a little help here?" Antares and Tia were trying to hold back the demon, but they were losing ground quickly.

"I've got this."

"Spyro?" the edge in his voice surprised Cynder. A moment ago he was on the verge of losing his mind, and now…

"Just stay clear." His eyes were beginning to glow, and a shining purple aura formed around him. "Tia, Antares! Get out of the way!"

"Huh?"

Tia's eyes snapped open, and she lunged at Antares, shoving them both out of the way as Spyro released his power.

"Matthias! Back to whatever Hell you came from!" With a savage roar, Spyro let loose the full force of his power. The violet beam crashed into the demon squarely, forcing him back. Matthias took a step forward, resisting the force of Spyro's Fury, but lost ground again, cracks forming in his stone chest. Screaming with rage, the demon lord called on his own power, a crimson beam flying out and meeting the Fury beam head on and pushing it back. The other three dragons looked on, transfixed by the titanic battle of wills and strengths going on before them. Spyro and Matthias went on, forcing their powers to the limits.

"They're evenly matched?" Tia whispered, not removing her eyes from the two foes.

"For now," Cynder replied, her voice hushed as well. "But Matthias' has more reserves; he'll outlast Spyro."

"We have to do something!" Tia cried.

"No!" Spyro yelled, keeping up the energy beam. "Stay out of the way!" With a roar the purple drake increased his power, a surge of new energy flying through the air. The two violet rays twisted around each other and merged, the light brightening further. Matthias was forced to his knees, his own energy being pushed back in on him. Spyro kept up the assault, tapping into reserves of strength he didn't know he had. Slowly, the demon's power faltered, the vermilion ray fading and shortening until it disappeared entirely. Now unobstructed, Spyro's Fury crashed against the fiend's stone body, the cracks expanding into widening fissures. Shrieking with rage, Matthias' body shattered, his cries hanging in the air, mingling with the fading echo of Spyro's attack. Victorious, Spyro slumped to the ground, totally spent by the struggle. The others rushed to his side, Cynder kneeling beside him.

"Spyro, are you all right?"

"I…I think so; just…exhausted."

"How did you do that?" Tia asked, awestruck.

"It was just a Fury Beam."

"Fury Beam?" Antares' jaw dropped. "I've never even heard of that. And that power was unreal!"

"Ignitus has been teaching me the technique. I finally learned it yesterday, but it's almost impossible for me to control it." Slowly, he rose to his feet, Cynder helping him keep his balance. "I didn't want to stop, but even if I had, I don't think I could have."

"It's a good thing you didn't," Cynder replied. "If you'd let up, Matthias would have probably killed us all."

"I think I can walk," Spyro said, taking a few steps away from Cynder. "Let's go; we still have to deal with Argus."

"Take a rest," Tia prompted. "You need to recover from that, and we still have to figure out which way to go," she added, turning to the doors along the wall.

"There's no time."

"If you're sure…"

"I'm fine."

"Hey," Antares called, "could you guys take a look at this? I can't find any way to open this door."

The others went over to join him, and sure enough there was no latch, handle, lever, or any other method to open the door. They checked each of the others in turn, but the results were the same: ornately carved doors with no apparent means of passage.

"So now what?" Spyro asked, sitting down. "We can't turn back, and those doors aren't moving."

"But we're also pretty safe," Cynder pointed out as she lay down to rest for a moment. "With the passage blocked, the only way anything can get to us is through one of those doors."

"Unless they just bombard us with magic," Antares growled.

"No, I don't think they'll do that."

"Why not?" Tia asked. "They've made it pretty obvious they want us dead. I mean, those traps weren't exactly a friendly welcome."

"Oh, they're trying to kill us all right. But if they were just going to kill us, they would have done it the minute we stepped inside. Or just wiped us out earlier at the Temple. And then there's this maze; why not just make a nice straight shot to them? It's like they're more interested in watching us go through all this than just fighting face-to-face. And of course we can't refuse because they still have Amber."

"You make it sound like they're playing with us," Spyro said.

"Exactly; as crazy as it sounds, it's like this whole thing is just some kind of game to them."

"So they did all this just to have a laugh?" Tia spat. "That's just sick!"

Spyro stood up and went to a door. "We have to stop them. Come on; there has to be a way to open these."

After a few minutes of searching, Spyro called the others. "Hey, look at this: there's some kind of writing on the doorframe." Sure enough, when the others crowded around, they could make out lettering along the top of the doorjamb. They'd missed it before because the letters were so small that they could only be found by a close inspection.

"'Beyond this door lies a cold that cuts to the bone, but a gentle warmth will be your key.'"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Antares asked. "Some kind of puzzle lock?"

"I think so," the purple dragon replied. "It's a riddle to open the door, and it says what we'll find on the other side." Spyro took a breath, and released a small jet of flames on the door. There was a click and a rumble, and then the door fell into the floor, revealing a plain stone room beyond, a cold draft flowing through the opening.

"Check the others."

"'The way is blocked by the unseen, and the voice of the world shall reveal the path.'" Antares fired his earth shot point-blank at the door, which was blown into dust and dispersed.

"'A cold-forged blade will pierce the firestorm.'" Tia hesitated for a moment before slashing the door with her ice tail. The door froze over and shattered, leaving the way clear with a hot wind blowing from it.

"I guess that just leaves me." Cynder looked closely at the crown of the doorframe. "'A terror from beyond time awaits, and the way will be opened by the serpent's weapon.'" The black dragoness took a deep breath and exhaled a cloud of acidic venom, dissolving the door.

"Okay," Antares said, "that was a little too easy."

"We still don't know what's behind these doors," Tia replied. "This just screams 'trap'."

"It doesn't matter," Spyro said. "We have to go on. So do we split up, or go together?"

"Obviously they want to separate us," Cynder observed. "These doors were set up for each of us to open one of them. I think that we'll have to go through them alone to go on." She took a few steps through her door and then stopped. "Spyro, come over here, but be careful."

The purple drake walked up to the door, but stopped at the threshold.

"What's wrong?" Cynder asked.

"There's something here," Spyro replied, placing his hand against an invisible surface. "Some kind of barrier. I'm afraid you're right Cynder: only one of us can get through each door."

"So we have to split up after all," Tia said. "Well, be careful everyone. We'll meet up on the other side."

Spyro walked slowly through his door, shivering slightly as a gust of freezing wind passed over him. Antares waited until both the purple dragon and Cynder were out of sight before he turned to Tia. "So, what's the holdup?"

"Just a little nervous; up until now, there was always someone else around. Baho, you, Cynder, Amber...and now I'm about to walk into a trap, totally alone. There won't be anyone to bail me out this time if I get into trouble. I just don't know if I can do it."

"Tia," Antares embraced the blue dragoness. "You're never alone. If you ever feel like you can't do something, just think of us; we're always with you." The brown dragon leaned down and kissed Tia. After a moment, he released the kiss and looked into her eyes. "Especially me."

"Antares," she whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"I love you," he replied, wiping the tear away. "And I believe in you. Whatever's waiting, I know you can handle it." Releasing Tia from his embrace, he stepped in front of his door. Walking down the hall, the brown dragon paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Oh, and Tia, that wasn't a goodbye kiss; I'd better see you on the other side of this."

"Thanks, but you'd better look out for yourself." She smiled back before starting down her own passage. "I love you, too," she whispered, knowing that somehow the brown drake had already known.

--- --- ---

This is the end of the chapters I had written already, but I've got a good chunk of the next one planned out at least.


	7. Holiday Intermission

Holiday Intermission

Hi everyone! Special holiday update! I'm traveling over the holiday (I'm actually writing this on my grandparents' computer), and won't be back home until Friday evening. I also had to do a full restore on my computer, and that wiped out my Word so I can't even look up my story files right now. Unfortunately, all of this means that there will be a truly unavoidable delay on the next chapter. I'm hoping I can get a new Word program this weekend and go right back to work, and I just need to ask your patience until then. The upside to this happening now is that it's Thanksgiving, so all of you should be spending time with your families instead of staring at a computer screen (I play the Hypocrite card!). Enjoy the holiday, everyone, and I'll see you next week!

--- --- ---

"Well, so much for that," Sym said, sitting back from his computer. "Now to enjoy some time off."

"What are you talking about?" Antares asked, an exasperated look on his face. "We just walked down the dark, creepy Halls of Death, walking blindly into who knows what horrible traps, and you're taking a break now? Not cool, man!"

"Hey," the young man shot back, standing up and facing the brown drake. "It's not like I want to stop here, you know my computer just got fried. We're all just lucky I backed up all the files!"

"And to top it off," Antares went on, apparently oblivious to Sym's protest, "I just confessed my love to Tia! Finally, after all these years. And you expect everyone to just sit back and wait for you to get your [CENSORED] in gear? Come on!"

"Okay, anyone who didn't see you and Tia getting together needs to have their eyes checked." Sym reached down to his belt, pulling a few cards out of his deck holster. "Now, I don't like this any more than you do, but we're both going to need to be patient. Now, you can either sit back and enjoy the break, or Red-eyes can _make_ you sit down."

"Bring it on, tough guy!" Fists clenched, Antares jumped at the young man.

"You asked for it!" The cards flashed, and a huge black dragon leapt from Sym's hand, roaring fiercely.

Across the room, Tia and Erika watched the drake and card-caster square off. "Should we stop them?" the copper dragoness asked, a slight note of worry in her voice.

"Nah, let them have their fun," Tia replied. "Besides, I think it might be safer to keep our distance right now…"

"Hmmm," Cynder looked over some papers from Sym's folder. "Not sure if I like the looks of this…" Turing the page, the black dragoness flinched. "I definitely don't like that."

"What's that?" Erika asked.

"The script for the next chapter."

"Let me see," Tia stepped over, reading over Cynder's shoulder. "Wow," she exclaimed, her eyes widening. "Is he really planning to do _that?_"

"I hope not…"

--- --- ---

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! Thanks for putting up with me for the past year and a half!


	8. Chapter 7: Confrontation Part I

Since there's so much going on in this chapter, and it's been so long since the last update, I decided to split it into two parts.

--- --- ---

Chapter 7: Confrontation Part I

Erika set down on the white beach, gazing at the fortified temple in the center of the small island. _That's it…the Chronicler's sanctuary…_ Trembling slightly, she took a deep breath and started towards the building. "Okay, Erika," the dragoness reassured herself. "They're counting on you, you can do this. Just get inside, get the scroll, and get back to the Temple…like it'll be that easy…"

As she got to the door, two of the crystal statues flanking the entrance sprang to life and stalked towards her, blue light showing from under their helmets and their weapons raised to strike.

"Uh-oh," hearing steps behind her, Erika looked to see three more sentries blocking the way back. _Great, a welcoming committee. Ok, can't go forward or back, so that just leaves…_ As the statues lunged forward, Erika launched into the air with a spray of dust and sand. "Too close. Alright, I have to get past these things to get inside, so here goes!" Swooping over the sentries, she fired two lightning bolts down, striking her targets squarely. The sentries, however, seemed to be unfazed by the attack. Landing back on the beach, the copper dragoness looked over the group of enemies. "Great, they're as tough as they look." _Okay, I haven't done this in battle before, but it should do the job._ Charging her energy, Erika formed an electric orb and fired it into the middle of the statues. Bouncing once, the sphere detonated, scattering the stone soldiers across the sand. Taking the opening, Erika charged for the door, hoping to open it before the enemies recovered. Leaning in on her shoulder, she strained against the stone slab, hearing the statues approaching again. "Come on, come on! Open, you stupid door!"

"Damn it, Chronicler!" the dragoness screamed. "The Guardians sent me! Call off your guards and let me in!" No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she felt a stone hand close around her shoulder and she was flung back away from the door, landing hard on the beach. Gasping, she scrambled to her feet and turned to face the enemies again, only to see that they had taken their positions next to the entrance and were once again motionless.

"Huh?" Erika slowly took a few steps towards the sentinels, but they remained still. The dragoness approached the guards until she was within a few feet, at which point they came at her again. She retreated back to the beach, and the guards returned to the door.

_So they only attack when I'm trying to get in; well, that helps a little. But then how do I get them away from the door long enough to open it? Spyro just fought his way through, but I can't do that. If only I was stronger…_

Taking to the sky, the copper dragoness flew over the ancient temple, hoping to find any signs of a second entrance. Spotting a round hole in the roof, she set down and peered into the sanctum. Suddenly there was a thundering crash from behind her, and she turned to see a giant made of what looked like blue crystals lumbering across the roof of the building. Having no time to think, Erika dove into the hole, using her wings to slow her descent to the marble floor below.

"Hello, Erika."

Erika turned to the source of the voice, a silver-white dragon draped in robes and carrying a variety of scrolls and items in his pockets.

"Are…are you the Chronicler?"

"I am known by that name, yes. And I believe that you came for this?" The Chronicler reached into one of his pockets and withdrew an ivory scroll case which he offered to Erika.

The dragoness took the case, cradling it gently in her hands. "Thank you. I need to go." She turned and was about to launch back into the air when the Chronicler stopped her.

"Leaving so soon? But you just arrived, and it's a long flight back. Rest a while and recover your strength."

"I need to get this back to the Guardians; they're counting on me. Everyone is."

"Ah, I think I understand now. You're anxious to prove yourself, aren't you Erika?"

"It's not that, it's just that…it's…I can't do anything else. I can't fight, I'm barely any good at magic…this is all I can do to help. I know it's not much, but…"

"No need to explain yourself to me, little one. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. It sounds like you just need to find your strength."

"Can't you tell me? I mean, since you know everything?"

The white dragon chuckled. "I know a great many things, but I wouldn't dream of saying everything. Besides, even if I knew the answer, I wouldn't tell you. It's something you have to learn for yourself, or it's meaningless." The Chronicler reached out and placed his hand over Erika's heart. "I will tell you this: the answer you want lies right here, and when the time comes you'll know. Take heart in that. Oh, and before you go…" The Chronicler closed his eyes, and a soft green glow appeared around his hand and flowed over the young dragoness.

Feeling her strength restored, Erika looked wide-eyed at the Chronicler. "But, why? I thought you don't interfere with fate?"

"You're going to leave now anyway, I'm just easing your journey. I'm not cold or heartless like some may think. Now go on, the others are waiting for you."

"Thank you, for everything." Taking a few steps back, the copper dragoness launched up through the opening in the roof and winged back towards the island.

OO

_Huh,_ Antares mused to himself, looking down the blank hallway. _There's nothing here; what gives? I was sure there'd be a trap or a monster or something._ His expectations were met a few moments later as he stepped out of the hall and into a large circular room. Despite the fact that the room was much better lit than the passage had been, the brown dragon had had no clue that he was approaching the room until he was inside. What didn't surprise him was what was standing in the center of the room. Standing to his full height, arms crossed over his massive chest, Phobos of the Mirage glowered down at the drake that now seemed pitifully small in spite of his own powerful build.

"So," the giant rumbled, "I got you."

"You're gonna wish you hadn't in about a minute, Tiny!" Antares spat back, mustering all the bravado he could.

"Bold words from someone so small, don't you think?"

"I've always heard size doesn't matter," the brown dragon smirked. "Not that I've ever had that problem."

"Enough banter." His footsteps shaking the chamber, Phobos shifted into a fighting stance. "Show me your true power!"

"You asked for it, thugly!" Flapping his wings hard to push off, Antares launched himself towards his gigantic foe. Much to the dragon's surprise, the giant vanished just before impact. "What the…?" Hearing a sound behind him, the brown dragon turned to see Phobos standing exactly as he had before.

"Is that all? You moved much faster earlier…" Phobos swung at the dragon with all the excitement of swatting an annoying fly. Antares grunted with pain as he was batted aside and hit the granite wall of the chamber. Groaning, he pushed himself back to his feet.

_Did that just happen?_ "Okay, how's this?!" Charging his power he formed an Earth Flail and hurled the orb at Phobos, a green flash of light obscuring the actual impact. Antares pulled his head back to follow up, but felt resistance. _What the…is it stuck?!_

The real answer was even more shocking: the dust cleared to reveal that Phobos had _caught_ the orb in his hand and was holding it in place, the energy chain running taut between the combatants.

"Impressive," Phobos muttered, before hurling the flail back at its owner. Taken by surprise, Antares felt the rush of air as he barely avoided his own attack, the glowing sphere passing his shoulder by mere inches as he leapt aside.

"My turn!" Before the dragon could recover, the giant drew back his fist and punched. Such was the force of the blow that the shockwave scooped Antares up and slammed him into the wall. Stunned, the brown drake slumped down, revealing a series of cracks in the granite where he had hit. Taking a step forward, Phobos looked down on his fallen enemy. "Hmm, it seems I overdid it…no matter, he was to die regardless."

"Don't…count on it…" It was Phobos' turn to be shocked as Antares lifted his head and released a charged Earth Shot, striking him squarely in the chest. Slowly, the dragon got to his feet, but it was apparent that the blow had taken its toll: one of Antares' wings was crumpled against his side, crushed by the impact, and a trail of blood was running down the side of his face from the base of his horn. "I'm harder to kill than that."

"Still alive, eh?"

"And just about warmed up. Now I'm gonna show you why you don't mess with my friends!" Antares lunged at Phobos again, but this time, as the brute moved to strike him down again he spun with his good wing, forming an Earth Shell at the same time. The living, spiked projectile crashed into Phobos, digging through his armor and forcing him to the ground. Dissolving the shell, the dragon leapt back, firing another Earth Shot at his fallen enemy.

"No," Antares whispered. "That's impossible…"

Phobos got to his feet, totally unharmed. Not even is armor was damaged by the attack.

"How did you do that?! I hit you! I know I did!"

"Your attack caught me by surprise; do not think that makes any difference. If this is all the power you have, I've already won." The giant took two steps forward and kicked Antares in the chest. The dragon felt his ribs crack as he was flung back like a doll, landing sprawled on the stone floor, gasping for breath through the fiery pain in his chest. Not giving his foe the chance to recover, Phobos grasped Antares' arm and flung him across the room. The earth dragon cried out as he felt his arm wrenched out of its socket, his voice cut off in a gasp as he hit the wall again. Trying to force air into lungs pressed by his crushed ribcage, Antares struggled to prop himself up on his one good arm, the other dragging on the floor uselessly.

"Surrender, and your death will be swift."

OO

Tia stepped into the chamber, expecting to see an enemy waiting for her. To her surprise, the room was empty, blank stone walls and floor leaving nowhere for someone to wait in ambush. More than a little relieved, the dragoness charged across the room. She was brought up short by a wall of flames erupting in the doorway. Flinching back with a wimper, she turned to see Tartarus standing in the center of the chamber, smoke somehow rising from the _stone_ at his feet.

"Don't think you're going to leave here without playing with me, girl."

"You," Tia snarled, building her power. "You're the one who attacked Baho, aren't you?"

"I was. Honestly, I would have expected a dragon to put up more of a fight; I hope you aren't as disappointing as he was."

"I'll rip your heart out!" Tia lunged at Tartarus, sheathing her claws in ice.

"Really," the demon taunted, parrying Tia's attack with his scimitar. "That attack didn't work when he tried it either." With a flash of red, the blade was sheathed in fire.

Gasping, Tia jumped back, landing in a defensive stance with fear in her eyes.

"Oh," Tartarus chuckled. "So, the little girl is afraid of fire? I may yet have some enjoyment from this."

Her eyes hardening, Tia gathered her power again. "Ice extinguishes fire!" Roaring, the blue dragoness let loose a stream of frozen air that engulfed her foe.

"Wrong," Tartarus replied, blasting the cloud away with a halo of flames. "Fire evaporates ice." Drawing back his hand, the fiend focused his own energy, a red aura forming around his arm. "Fira!" thrusting his arm forward, he released a torrent of flames toward the dragoness.

Abandoning her battle stance, Tia threw herself down, shielding her head with her arms and wings. The dragoness shrieked with pain as the flames washed over her, charring her scales and searing her wings.

"Please try to put up some fight. I don't want this fight to be boring too. It's been a thousand years since I got to have any fun…"

"Fun?!" Shaking with mixed terror and rage, Tia stood once again, red burns standing out vividly on her blue and silver scales. "You call murder and destruction fun?!" Tia released a shower of ice spikes at Tartarus, but the projectiles evaporated before they could reach their target, consumed by the demon's fiery aura. Mustering more energy, the ice dragon launched a set of ice bombs, but they had no more effect than the first attack. _How can I win? _Tia despaired. _My attacks can't even hit him from here, and I can't get close with the…the flames. Why did it have to be fire?_

Jumping back, Tartarus swung his arm, sending another wave of flames across the room. Tia could only watch, paralyzed at the sight of the blazing arc rushing towards her. The wave struck the ground at her feet, blasting the dragoness back in a cloud of smoke and flames. Tia landed in a heap, gasping at the pain of the new burns.

"This is pathetic," Tartarus whined, charging another attack. "Why do I have to get this weakling? She's not even fighting back. At least the silver one was able to strike back instead of cowering…" Flames igniting around his hands, he fixed his gaze on the trembling dragoness.

'_Tia,'_ a familiar voice sounded in Tia's mind. A voice full of love and support. _'Tia, you have to fight.'_

'_Baho? Is that you? But, how?'_

'_I can't explain; but you have to trust me. This demon is insane; you have to fight back or he'll destroy you.'_

'_I can't; the fire…I'm afraid, Baho…'_

'_Don't be afraid; I'm with you, Little Snowflake.'_ As Baho's words faded, Tia felt power growing within her. "He's right," she whispered. "Even if I am afraid, I have to fight!"

"I'm tired of this game," Tartarus said, the runes on his armor glowing brighter. "It's time to end this." The fiend began moving his hands in the air in front of him, manipulating the energy for some kind of spell. "Valsyar Flames!" Tartarus threw a fireball that expanded into a web of flames. The net engulfed Tia, entangling her within the flaming strands. Screaming in agony, the dragoness struggled to free herself.

"Struggle all you want, girl," Tartarus smirked. "Valsyar Flames obey my will. Nothing can extinguish them as long as their prey is alive. And I can kill you as fast," he clenched his fist and the web tightened, cutting deeper into Tia's flesh as she cried out again. When he relaxed his hold, the net expanded slightly. "Or as slow as I like."

OO

_This is impossible!_ Cynder threw herself down, feeling the blade of Icarus' halberd pass a fraction of an inch from her flank. _No one's this fast!_ Rolling away, the dragoness jumped to her feet just in time to parry another yet another flurry of attacks. Taking a small opening, Cynder struck, her tail blade flashing out at Icarus' knee. The demon evaded easily, sidestepping without even seeming to move. "Hold still, damn it!" The black dragoness blocked the armored warrior's next attack with her wing blade, flinching slightly as the second blade cut into her shoulder.

"You seem to be an intelligent girl," Icarus backed off across the room, his halberd lowered but ready. "Do you really think that you can beat me?"

"I'm doing alright so far," Cynder remained tense, knowing that her enemy could strike again at any second. "You haven't landed a solid hit yet."

"And you haven't struck me once. You're simply outmatched; the only reason you're still alive is that I haven't tried to kill you yet."

The dragoness started to protest, but stopped when she realized that he was right: Icarus had been slashing at her rather than thrusting, and all the wounds had been long, shallow cuts. Painful, yes, but not life-threatening, even from blood loss. If anything, he'd been trying to wear her down more than hurt her. "Why are you doing this?" she asked, not dropping from her battle stance. "I thought you wanted to kill us."

"If that is what I have to do, then I will kill you. But I dislike unnecessary bloodshed. I believe that I have already shown you that you cannot overcome me. Now, I would like to make you an offer: join us, and I will spare your life, and see to it that you are not harmed."

"Join you?" Cynder's eyes flashed. "Why should I join you?"

"If you do not, I will kill you here and now. I am offering you a chance to save your own life…"

"By betraying everyone I care about. No thanks." Cynder shifted her stance, preparing to attack. "I won't turn on them again."

"Very well. If you insist on throwing away your life, I will oblige you." Almost faster than the eye could follow, Icarus flew across the room, brandishing his weapon against the black dragoness.

"Aah!" Cynder tried to parry with her wing, but was pushed back nonetheless, receiving a slash across the membrane that dripped blood onto the floor as she scrambled back into her fighting pose. "Zephyr!" Cynder's eyes flashed silver as the wind spell took effect, increasing her speed. Not enough to match Icarus, but enough that she could defend herself. Spinning aside to avoid another blow, she struck out with both wings, ignoring the pain as the slashed membrane stretched. The armored warrior flash-stepped backwards, but not quite fast enough to avoid glancing hits across his chest and stomach. Looking down at the scars on his breastplate, he tilted his head to the dragoness. "Impressive. It's rare that someone is swift enough to even lay a finger on me, let alone mar my armor."

"I'm full of surprises," Cynder replied, smiling.

"Don't think that this mean you can win. I'll simply have to use some of my power." The runes on Icarus' armor began to glow faintly. "That spell you used…'Zephyr', I believe you called it? I know a similar one. It doesn't have a special name like yours, but its effect is just as potent. Haste!" The runes flashed, and small clouds of dust rose from the ground. This time, he moved so swiftly that Cynder could barely see him, and was powerless to defend herself. She was batted across the room, feeling the burn of a fresh slash across her chest. Scrambling to her feet, she frantically tried to fend off a storm of steel that seemed to come from everywhere at once. Despite her skill and speed, Cynder was being overwhelmed: for every attack she parried two more struck her, and she couldn't even see her attacker to strike back. After a few second that felt like an eternity, she managed to create a cyclone around her, forcing Icarus back. Breathing heavily, blood slowly dripping from a myriad of wounds, she watched her enemy intently, looking for any sign of where his next move would be.

"So you can harness the wind as well?" Icarus lowered his halberd and prepared to charge again. "That is unusual."

"I know a few wind dragons," she replied calmly, still sizing up her foe.

"I supposed some things have changed since we were locked away. It will be difficult to convince Argus of this."

"Why do you need to convince him? Aren't you just going to destroy everything anyway?"

Icarus chuckled. "Why would we destroy what we intend to rule? Ours is a war of conquest, not of destruction."

"So you wanted me to help you enslave everyone?"

"It would be helpful to have an officer who knows our enemy. Perhaps someone who could help persuade them to accept our rule peacefully, rather than waste lives in a futile conflict."

"No."

"What?"

"No. You're not the first one who wanted me to betray my people, my friends. And I'll tell you the same thing I told him: Go to Hell."

"That was your last chance." Icarus lunged once again, this time striking to kill. A fraction of a second before the attack landed, Cynder vanished, her body dissolving into mist. "What?"

"I told you I've got a few surprises," Cynder's voice seemed to come from the entire cloud. "Since I can't keep up with you, I'll just have to be everywhere at once!" The dragoness reformed across the room, letting loose a stream of acid that Icarus had to dodge quickly, leaping away from the attack and the resulting splatter of caustic spray. The knight countered with a lightning-fast stroke, but Cynder was a half-step ahead of him, Shadowdancing away from the lethal swing and answering with a banshee wail from just out of reach. Icarus was thrown back, unable to fully evade the sonic attack. Shaken, he paused for a few seconds. Cynder followed up on her advantage with anther stream of acidic venom. The spray struck Icarus squarely, sizzling into his armor.

"Enough of this," the warrior muttered, holding his hand over the scarred patch on his chest. "You are a true warrior, but now I'll have to kill you. Hastera!" The increase in speed was even more dramatic than before, and his attack managed to clip Cynder's shoulder before she cloaked herself. "I think not." As the dark cloud drifted across the chamber, Icarus lifted his weapon over his head. "Aero!" Swinging his halberd in a wide arc, he sent a burst of high-speed wind into the center of the mist.

Cynder was forced to reform before the mist was blown apart. Flung back into the wall by the blast, she groaned and pushed herself up. No sooner had she got to her feet than Icarus flash-stepped behind her, driving his weapon into her flank. Screaming, the dragoness slumped back to the ground.

"That is a mortal wound," Icarus said without a hint emotion. "And even if you did somehow survive, you would be crippled. However," he raised the halberd once more. "I will spare you the pain of a slow death. Farewell, young warrior."

OO

_Why is it so cold here?_ Spyro shivered as another icy gust washed over him. Focusing on his fire element, he drew some warmth from his own aura. _Wish I'd known this trick a few years ago,_ he thought, his mind wandering back to the time he and Cynder had been lost in the Shattered Vale. The dragoness had almost died, and he'd sworn then that he'd never let her be put in danger again. Of course it had been months before he'd had the courage to tell her. _But then why didn't I try to stop her from coming?_ He already knew the answer: even if he'd tried, there was no way he could have stopped Cynder from fighting by his side. He'd just have to trust in her, and hope that she was alright.

"Hello, Malefor."

His train of thought stopped abruptly at the voice, but rather than surprise, the purple drake's expression was one of determination. Spyro stood squarely, facing the old-armored figure in the center of the chamber. "I told you already, I'm not Malefor."

"You still insist on lying to me?"

Spyro released a charged lightning bolt, striking Argus squarely in the chest. "If you won't listen to me, we may as well get this over with."

"As you wish," Argus hefted his spear, the crystal orb shining. "But before I destroy you, you will admit your true identity!" The fiend raised the scepter to the full length of his arm. "Thunder!" A bolt of lightning flew from the orb.

Spyro dove aside, barely evading the spell, and countered with an electric orb that exploded in Argus' face. Stumbling back, Argus recovered his footing and turned on the purple drake.

"Your skill seems to have diminished, Malefor. And your power has faded."

"Stop calling me Malefor!" Spyro charged his next attack. "My name is Spyro." The young dragon let loose a barrage of fireballs, then closed the distance between the pair with his comet dash. As Argus reeled from the combo attack, Spyro engaged his dragon time and cut into the fiend with a savage attack.

"Stopra!" Spyro felt a jolt as his time magic was overridden. He could still move, but slowly, like he was underwater. Helpless, he watched as Argus swept his scepter down and across, knocking the drake away. "Hmm, that spell should have stopped you completely, but it merely slowed you. You have some power in you after all."

Climbing back to his feet, Spyro felt Argus' spell lifting. "I didn't think I'd run in to someone else who can control time," he muttered to himself. "How do I counter that?" He didn't like to rely on dragon time, but realizing he no longer had the advantage of accelerating shook him.

Once again Argus pointed his spear at Spyro. "Blizzaga!" Spyro jumped back, but was still caught by the edge of the frigid blast. Shaking ice off his wings, the purple dragon sent a torrent of white-hot flames at his foe.

"Relflera!" A shimmering barrier appeared before Argus, deflecting the flames back at their owner. Spyro shielded himself with an ice barrier, and fired a volley of ice spikes. Argus effortlessly blocked the projectiles with his scepter, and then hurled the spear at Spyro. "Stop!" The purple drake was frozen as he tried to dodge, and the spear cut into his shoulder and wing. He cried out as the spell ended, falling to the ground with blood pouring from the severed vein. Quickly, Spyro sheathed his claws in fire and cauterized the wound, screaming again at the searing pain. His vision clearing, he looked up to see that Argus' spear had returned to him, and the fiend was holding it aloft once more, a dark light building in the orb.

"You're pathetic! Is this really the same dragon that bested me so many centuries before?"

"How many times do I have to say it?! I'm not Malefor! I'm nothing like him!"

"I should have used this spell in our first battle. But at least fate has given me another chance to destroy you." Spyro stood up, his left foreleg shaking but strong. "Graviga!"

A sphere of dark energy formed above Spyro and crashed down onto the drake. Spyro was crushed to the ground, feeling his bones creak from the force. His wings felt like they were about to be ripped off. He gasped, trying to force air into his crushed lungs. His vision blacked out. The pain was so intense that he couldn't even scream. It felt as if his very life was being pressed out of him. Then, just as suddenly as it had began, the spell ended. Gravity returned to normal, and he could breathe again. Slowly, his vision came back into focus and he could see Argus standing over him, gloating. "How do you like the power of space itself, Malefor? Your pathetic race has nothing that can compare to such power. But I haven't finished yet."

As Spyro struggled to move, Argus lifted his scepter, the runes shining. "Thundaga!"

The purple drake screamed in agony as the surge of lightning struck him. As the dragon writhed on the floor, Argus stepped over him. The armored fiend reached down and lifted Spyro, grabbing the dragon by the throat. Choking, Spyro struggled weakly, his eyelids fluttering as the world began to go dark.

"This is the end, Malefor."

--- --- ---

I'm also working on a little something for the holiday, but I'll try to get Part II written by New Year's.

Happy Holidays everyone!


	9. Hiatus

Important Announcement!

The Legend of Spyro: Trial of Spirit is on hiatus

This does not mean that I am done writing, by any means. I will finish Trial of Spirit, and write the sequel. Unfortunately, I simply do not have the time to work on it right now. I'm taking a full load of classes that requires me to be up at about 6 a.m.. Then I work 1-10 Monday through Friday. This means I get around 7.5 hours of sleep a night, assuming I get off work at time, go straight home, and get to sleep within about ten minutes (doesn't happen). Add to this the fact that every weekend I wind up dealing with some crisis or other. I'm still going to work when I have the time, but that will most likely be rare for at least the next couple of months. I apologize to everyone, especially those few loyal reviewers who have kept me going for this long. There are circumstances beyond my control, and as much as I would like to tell everyone around here to f—k off, that would cause even more trouble.

Basically, I'm going to need to put the story on hold for the time being. I'll keep writing when I get the chance, and I may take the opportunity to make a few other changes while I'm at it. Take care everyone; I'll be back as soon as I can.


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